Magnificent 7: The Texas AU
by charli911
Summary: This is an AU story. The boys are in modern day Texas, Sarah and Adam are still alive. What happens when Cletus Fowler shows up? Rated M for suggested sexual abuse against a child.
1. Chapter 1

Magnificent 7: The Texas AU

**_KIDNAPPED_**

Disclaimer: I don't own the boys or any of the other wonderful characters from the show. I make no money, but enjoy writing them in a different light.

**In this AU, the boys are in modern day Texas. Sarah and Adam are still alive. We hope that we've set down a good foundation for other writers to build on if they feel the urge to further explore this AU.

We began this AU to explore the relationship between Chris and his family, in an effort to see Chris Larabee as the loving father and husband we believe the series was trying to portray him as. And to see how the boys would interact with Sarah and Adam. We welcome other writers who can share that vision and invite you to build on what we've started. We hope you can respect the premise of the AU and keep Sarah and Adam among the living. We have additional stories in this AU that will further develop the other characters, but the stories will mainly focus on Chris and his family, plus Vin, with a healthy dose of Buck.

Chapter 1

Houston, TX

Vin Tanner sat in his military surplus jeep sipping a cup of strong coffee from the thermos on the seat next to him. John Blackfox was currently inside a restaurant having breakfast. Knowing the man was armed, Tanner didn't want to confront him in the crowded eatery. He hoped to be able to get him alone later in the day. He'd been chasing this particular piece of trash for two weeks and was ready for the hunt to be over.

Tanner rolled his head around on his shoulders, trying to loosen his neck muscles. All this waiting and chasing was beginning to get to him. He'd been a bounty hunter going on eight years and although the money was good, he was tiring of the hunt.

Blackfox was an arsonist and murderer. He'd been arrested for a fire he was suspected of setting in an office building in Dallas, Texas. Two days after Blackfox was bailed out of jail, the security guard who had been injured during the blaze had died. Murder charges were added. But Blackfox had skipped town. Tanner had tracked him down to Houston and now sat outside a local restaurant waiting for the dirt bag to finish his meal.

Vin stood to make fifteen thousand dollars when he brought Blackfox in. He figured that, added to what he already had in his bank account, would be enough to let him, take an extended break from bounty hunting. Maybe he'd go up to the mountains for a couple months, get away from the city and the crush of people. He'd been working pretty much non-stop for eighteen months. He was tired and worn out, ready to head for the hills for a bit.

His musing was interrupted when the bail jumper exited the restaurant and slid into a beat-up red pickup truck with a camper on the back. Vin had never seen this vehicle before, having always seen Blackfox in a late model utility vehicle. The felon was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, which was also unusual for a man who normally wore flashy clothing. Tanner's suspicions were on high and he decided to just follow his prey for a while and see what he was up to.

Twenty minutes later, Blackfox turned right onto a side street in a Houston suburb. Half way down the block he pulled over to the curb, in front of a small green station wagon. Vin stopped at the corner just before the turn, his vehicle partially hidden behind a large bush. Blackfox got out of his pickup and lifted the hood. After fiddling under the hood for a couple of minutes, he walked to the back of the truck and opened the camper door.

Reaching inside, he pulled out a bag and carried it back to the front of the truck. After a long minute, Vin saw movement under the truck. Picking up the binoculars he kept in a small duffle on the floor of the passenger seat, he placed them to his eyes and focused them in on the truck. He was far enough away to be able to see under the vehicle. And what he saw alarmed him.

Blackfox was moving into position under the green station wagon, dragging the bag with him. He reached inside and pulled out a small container.

"Shit!' Tanner exclaimed to himself. This wasn't good. He knew that Blackfox's background included a knowledge of explosives. It was no stretch of the imagination to figure out that the felon was setting some surprise fireworks for the station wagon's owner.

Vin reached for his cellphone and hoped he was far enough away to use it safely, knowing that cellphones, like portable two-way radios, could trigger certain explosive devices. After dialing 911 and alerting the local authorities, he returned to watching the man under the car.

Two minutes later, Blackfox crawled out from under his pickup. He closed the hood of the truck, climbed in and drove away.

"Damn it!" Tanner slammed his hand against the steering wheel and tossed the binoculars onto the passenger seat. For just a split second, he thought about going after Blackfox. But he knew he couldn't just leave before the cops got there. What if the owner came out and got into the vehicle. No way was Tanner taking that chance. He'd seen what looked like a car seat in the back seat of the station wagon, indicating a child traveled in the vehicle frequently.

He called back to the Houston Police dispatch center and let them know that the suspect had gone, and gave them his direction of travel. He'd already given them the vehicle description and license plate number on his earlier call. As he hung up, he noticed a woman exit the house that the wagon was parked in front of.

About thirty-five years old, she was slightly above average height, with long, curly red hair. She wore dark sunglasses and carried a large bag over one shoulder. As she pulled the door shut behind her, Vin noticed a small boy standing on the step next to her. He was about five years old, with blond hair and a small cowboy hat. Vin muttered another soft curse and quickly jumped out of his jeep.

Footsteps startled the woman as she walked down her driveway and she spun around to see who was approaching so quickly. Her arm reached out protectively, pushing her child out of harm's way behind her.

Vin stopped about ten feet away and raised his hands to shoulder height, palms open. "I don't mean to scare you ma'am, but you need to go back inside your house."

She took a couple of steps back, her son moving with her. She frantically looked around for help. She dropped her hand into the bag over her shoulder. "I have a gun in my purse. I'll use it if I have to. And my husband is a Texas Ranger." She spoke in a soft Irish brogue.

That last statement surprised Tanner and made him wonder just who the target was here.

"Ma'am, I won't hurt you. The police are already on the way. My name is Vin Tanner. I saw a man tampering with something underneath your car. Please, you need to move away from the car and go back inside your house."

"Are you a police officer?"

"No, ma'am. I'm a bounty hunter. I was following the man who tampered with your car. Please, go back inside. And you might want to call your husband."

Distant sirens seemed to corroborate the man's story, so she picked up her son and rushed back into the house. A couple of seconds later the sirens shut off and Tanner saw and heard half a dozen police cars converging on the scene.

Vin moved away from the station wagon and back toward his own vehicle, preferring to leave the investigation to the experts. As he approached his jeep, he noticed that there were even more officers than he thought. Several units were a couple of blocks away, starting to cordon off the area.

A female officer with sergeant's chevrons on her sleeve walked up to him.

"Are you Mr. Tanner?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am." She looked at Vin, then down the street toward the green station wagon.

"My name is Sergeant Ritter. What were you doing up near the car, Mr. Tanner?" she asked suspiciously.

"A woman came out of the house with a young boy, looked like she was headed toward the car. I just let her know it would be safer inside."

"I see. The bomb squad is on the way. Can you tell me what you saw?"

As Vin explained, officers began evacuating the block, beginning with the redheaded woman and the child that Tanner had spoken with. She smiled at him as they passed, going to sit in a police car further away.

/

Thirty minutes later, the Bomb Squad had arrived and had determined that there was indeed a bomb under the vehicle and they were attempting to remove it. A fire truck and a medic unit were on standby six blocks away, just in case.

Vin stood next to a patrol car about two blocks from the scene, waiting for them to clear the area so that he could move his jeep. He was anxious to go after Blackfox, but the sergeant refused to let him leave until the Bomb Squad was finished and could talk to him. Blackfox had managed to slip past the converging patrol units, although they'd found the pickup truck in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant two miles away. It would also be checked for explosives.

Police cars were still coming and going from the scene which had been evacuated three blocks in either direction. On-lookers had started to gather and the media had descended in hordes.

"Sarah!" Tanner turned at the shout to see two men exiting a dark blue extended cab pickup. The driver was a tall, slender, blond man who ran straight for the red-headed woman, who had heard him and climbed out of the patrol car she'd been waiting in. She still held her young son who saw the man running toward them.

"Daddy!" he cried and squirmed until his mother put him down. He ran toward his father, who scooped the young boy up in his arms and hugged him tightly. The woman joined them and the man reached out an arm and pulled her close, the young child now nestled between both parents.

"Daddy! Daddy, you're smotherin' me," a tiny voice said. Mother and father, both with tears in their eyes, laughed at their child's exasperated comment.

"Sorry, son. I'm just so glad you both are alright, I just want to squeeze the stuffing out of you."

"Hey, lil pard, how 'bout I take you out of harm's way, so that your mom and dad can talk." The man who'd come with the boy's father reached out his hands. He was taller than his friend, with dark hair and a mustache, and the smile on his face spoke of his genuine happiness to see the little boy.

"Uncle Buck!" the boy yelled and jumped into the open arms of the other man.

Now with both arms free, the man wrapped them around his wife. "God, Sarah, when I got your message..."

"Shhh, it's okay. We're both fine." She rubbed her hand along his back assuring him that he was alive and well.

"Ranger Larabee."

The blond relaxed his hold on his wife and turned to find Sergeant Ritter standing next to him. "Hi, Linda. Tell me what's going on here."

"We got a call from a man who stated that he had seen someone tampering with the green station wagon," she said gesturing down the block. They could see the Bomb Squad members, in full protective gear, placing a small item into the blast box. "The man, a," she checked her notebook for the name, "...Vin Tanner, is a bounty hunter. He told me that he was following his suspect and saw the man pull over here and crawl under your wife's vehicle. He knows the suspect as an explosives expert, so decided it would be best to call us and let us check the vehicle over."

"A bounty hunter," Chris said with disgust, his lack of respect for the occupation well known to those who worked and lived with Larabee.

"Chris, he saved our lives," Sarah reminded him. "He could have left, gone after his bounty. He stayed. If he hadn't, Adam and I would be dead. He stopped us from getting in the car before the police got here. I was headed out to take Adam to daycare and he told us to go back inside." She chuckled. "In fact, I owe him an apology. I threatened to shoot him."

"What?"

"He startled me. I told him that I had a gun." She shrugged. "I thought he was a mugger. Thought he would be scared off if he thought I was armed."

Chris shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Spend the rest of your life with me?" she asked with a smile.

"Absolutely. Who else would have you?" he joked. She slapped him on the arm. "Where is this bounty hunter? I suppose I should thank him."

Vin had turned his attention back to the activities near the car and was watching the Bomb Squad place the blast box inside their vehicle. He glanced at his watch, hoping they would clear him to move his vehicle as soon as the Bomb Squad was clear of the area.

"Mr. Tanner." Vin turned to see Sgt. Ritter gesturing for him to join her. He sighed. Checking his watch again he walked toward her.

"When do you think I can get out of here, Sergeant?"

"As soon as the Bomb Squad truck leaves, Mr. Tanner. I talked to their sergeant and he said he'll contact you if he has any questions." She pointed to the blond man beside her. "Mr. Tanner, this is Ranger Larabee. It was his wife and child that you saved today."

"Mr. Tanner," Larabee said, reaching out to shake Vin's hand. "I don't know how I can ever thank you enough. If you hadn't been here..." He stopped, not willing to voice what might have happened.

"I'm just glad I was," Vin said. "I hope the boy wasn't too upset. I think I scared him." He glanced at Sarah, who was standing next to her husband, his arm around her shoulder. "I am sorry, Ma'am. I just didn't know any other way to stop you from gettin' in the car."

She shook her head and smiled. "Don't apologize, Mr. Tanner. You saved our lives. And after I threatened to shoot you, too," she teased. He heard that Irish accent again and figured it suited her quite well, especially with that red hair.

Vin grinned. "Well, Ma'am, I guess you had the right. You were just protectin' your boy. Can't fault a mother for doin' that."

"Thank you, Mr. Tanner," she said, leaning forward to place a kiss on his cheek.

He blushed, then cleared his throat. "It's Vin, Ma'am. And it was my pleasure."

"My name is Sarah and my husband's name is Chris. And this..." she said, taking her child from the mustached man who had just walked up." This is our son, Adam."

"Howdy, Adam," Vin said.

The tow-headed boy shyly buried his face against his mother's neck. Chris reached across and rubbed his hand along Adam's back.

"The excitement has gotten to him," Sarah explained. "I think I'll keep him out of daycare today. When do you think we can go back to the house?" she asked her husband.

"Sarah, honey...I think it would be best if you stayed away from the house today. Buck, can you take Sarah and Adam to your place?"

"Sure, Pard."

"And stay with them."

"Chris..." his wife began.

"No, Sarah. I don't know who is behind this. I want to be sure someone is with you and Adam, until I can get to the bottom of this. I need to know you're safe. Please."

She nodded.

Buck turned to the other man in the group. "You must be Tanner."

"That's me," Vin assured him.

"Well, I just wanted to add my thanks. I'm Buck Wilmington. Chris and I are partners. And Adam is my godson. He and Sarah are two of the most special people on the planet. Thanks for keeping them from getting hurt." The two men shook hands.

"You're welcome."

Buck turned to Larabee. "See ya later, pard. Call me, let me know what's going on." Chris nodded. "Say, Sgt Ritter, any chance you could give me and Sarah and Adam a ride to my house."

"I think I can arrange that, Ranger Wilmington," Ritter said with a smirk.

"Well, good. Now, if you take us yourself, you'll be able to see where I live. That way, when you finally decide to go out with me, you'll have the address of paradise."

"How many times do I have to say this, Wilmington? No. I'm married. Happily so."

Buck sighed. "Yeah, seems all the good ones are. But that don't keep ol' Buck from trying." He winked.

Further conversation was lost as the two, with Sarah and Adam in tow, made their way to a police car. The Sergeant directed the patrol officer to give the three a ride and they drove away, Larabee watching as the car went out of sight. He turned back to face Tanner.

"So, you know who did this?"

"Yeah. His name is John Blackfox. He jumped bail in Dallas on a murder and arson charge. I've been trackin' him for almost a month."

"So you know where he'll go?"

"I have a couple of places I can check." Tanner saw the Bomb Squad vehicle pull away. "And it looks like I can finally get out of here to check them."

"Good. Let's go." Larabee started walking away, stopping when he realized Tanner wasn't following him. He turned to see the bounty hunter heading toward his vehicle, and ran to catch up.

"Where the hell are you going?" he asked, as Tanner climbed into his jeep.

"After Blackfox."

"I ain't riding in this heap," Larabee said, with a disgusted look at Tanner's vehicle.

"Nobody asked you to. I'll let you know when I find him."

"The hell you will! He tried to kill my family!"

"All the more reason I don't want you along. You'll scare away my informants." Larabee glared at him. "Yep, that look will definitely scare them away." Vin reached down and started up his jeep. "Look, cowboy, I'm not gonna lose this guy. He's my ticket to a nice, long, well-deserved vacation. But I can't have you taggin' along. It'll cramp my style."

Chris just stared at him, not used to being dismissed and not sure how to respond. So he said the first thing that came to mind. "Did you...did you just call me a cowboy?"

Tanner smiled. "Hey, if the boots fit, pal!" He put the jeep into gear and released the emergency brake. "I'll call you. Give me forty-eight hours." Without waiting for a response he left, threading his way between the patrol cars that were parked throughout the area.

Chris Larabee stood, dumbfounded, watching the jeep drive away.

/


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So, we checked the house, just to be safe. And I had them check the ranch as well." Chris was updating Buck and Sarah about the investigation into the attempted bombing. "That bounty hunter took off, said he'd call me when he found Blackfox." They were at Wilmington's small rambler, in a small suburb of Houston.

Adam was asleep in Buck's bedroom down the hall, camped out on the floor, inside Buck's pup tent, which the big man had tied off to his dresser and nightstand. They'd spent the afternoon having an 'adventure' as Buck called it, setting up 'camp' in the bedroom. After dinner around the campfire-which was really hotdogs and marshmallows roasted in the fireplace-Adam had fallen asleep on a blanket in front of the hearth. Chris had put him to bed in the tent, then the adults settled in the living room for coffee.

"Do you really think that whoever is behind this knows about your dad's ranch?" Buck asked.

"I just don't want to take any chances, Buck. It's common knowledge around the office that we planned on moving out there once our house sold. Hell, Dad talked about it all the time when he'd come by to visit. He wanted us to move in, you know that. But after his accident…" his voice trailed off.

Sarah grabbed Chris' hand and rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. Matt Larabee had been extremely close to his only son. They constantly talked about running the horse ranch together after Chris left the Rangers. But Matt refused to hurry that retirement. As a former Ranger himself, his proudest day in the world had been when his child had pinned on that star and followed in his father's footsteps. Matt's death in a car accident two months earlier had devastated his son.

Chris' mom had died just nine months before her husband. The double blow had been hard on him. Sarah and Adam had been the only thing keeping him sane as he dealt with the pain and loss. The family was now getting ready to move to the ranch permanently, so that it would be easier for Chris to oversee the everyday operation of the ranch, while he continued to work his law enforcement job. Eventually, he planned to take over the ranch full-time. But for now, his dad's foreman was keeping things running just fine. Both Matt and Chris trusted him to run things.

"What about this bounty hunter, Tanner? What's your take on him?" Buck asked.

"Aside from the fact that he's mouthy and arrogant?" Chris asked with a bemused look on his face. "I did some checking on him. He's supposed to be the best. He's from San Antonio, but travels all over the state. He handles the hard cases and he handles them alone. Never works with a partner. Nick Granger at the Sheriff's Office said he doesn't even have to solicit work anymore. The bail bonds folks go to him. Granger said the Sheriff even requested his help more than once. And has never failed to bring in his target."

"That's good. That means his chances of bringing in this guy is good."

"Yeah. I guess."

"What is it, Chris?" Sarah asked. "I thought you liked Vin."

"It's not that I don't like him. I mean, how can I hate a man who saved you and Adam?"

"But?"

"I just wish he'd let me help. If this has something to do with one of my cases I might be able to give him some information about who might be behind it."

"You already have JD working on it, Chris. Let's see what he finds and then we can try and track down this Tanner fella," Buck suggested.

"Yeah, you're right," Chris replied. "If anyone can find out info about Blackfox, it's JD Dunne. I sure wish I could afford to hire him full-time. He's wasted in forensics. We could use him to do our research all the time."

"Hell, Chris. The kid is only nineteen years old. Once he turns twenty-one, he wants to go to the academy anyway. Just make sure Orin Travis knows you want him on your team."

"Colonel Travis is aware of that already, Buck," Chris assured him. "Trouble is, JD is going to want to be in the field, not sitting behind a computer."

"JD will do what you tell him you need him to do to get an arrest. Shoot, Chris, the boy idolizes you. Why do you think he does all that work for you for free?"

"It's not for free, Buck. It's a trade. He helps us out on cases and he boards his horse at the ranch at no charge."

"I guess that's fair."

"I think I'll go check on Adam and try to get some sleep," Sarah said. "Any idea when we can go back home?"

"Not for a few days, at least," Chris told her, seeing the disappointment in her eyes. "I'm sorry, babe, but this guy has to know by now that he didn't succeed. I can't take the chance of him trying again. Until we catch this guy, I'd rather you stay at the ranch."

She sighed. "Okay. If only to put your mind at ease, so you can concentrate on catching this man. Don't stay up too late, okay." She gave him a lingering kiss before standing up from the sofa. As she passed Buck, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for putting us up, Buck."

"It ain't nothin', darlin'. You know y'all are welcome here anytime. Hell, you're family."

"I love you too, Buck," she teased.

"Goodnight, darlin'. Sleep well."

She smiled at him, then glanced over at Chris. Winking, she turned and walked down the hall to the guest bedroom.

"I think I'll turn in too," Chris said. "I want to get an early start tomorrow. Buck, like Sarah said, thanks for letting us stay. You're a good friend."

"Aw, hell, pard, now you're embarrassing me. You know you're always welcome here. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to that little boy of yours or to Sarah. Especially knowing that I could have prevented it."

"You're a good man, Buck. I don't care what anyone else says," Chris said, slapping the big man on the shoulder as he passed.

"What? Did somebody say something? Chris, who said I wasn't good? Chris? Pard? Come on, don't leave me hanging here!"

A soft chuckle was the only reply he got as Chris followed Sarah, who'd just come from checking on Adam, into the guestroom and closed the door.

"Well, hell." Buck frowned. He shook his head and turned back to the room. Making sure the doors and windows were securely locked, he turned off all but the kitchen light, then went to his own room. He walked over to the tent and carefully lifted up the left flap. He smiled. The towheaded tyke was softly snoring, his blanket snug under his chin.

Buck reached out and gently stroked his hair. "Sleep well, lil pard." Adam sighed in his sleep.

Wilmington got back to his feet and went into his bathroom. He quietly went about his nightly rituals and changing into the silk pajama bottoms he slept in. They'd been a gift from an old girlfriend, who took the top of the pajama set when she left. He liked to think she did that as a remembrance of their time together, since Buck's former girlfriends seldom left with any hostility. Buck always treated women with respect, until the proved they didn't deserve it. And it took a lot for him to feel a woman didn't deserve his respect.

He flipped the light off making sure the nightlight he kept for when Adam visited was turned on. He softly padded back into his bedroom and slid under the sheets, scratching his bare chest as he settled in. Turning onto his side he punched his pillow into shape for sleeping and closed his eyes.

/

Two days later, Ranger HQ

"Ranger Larabee!'

Chris was just walking out the door when someone called his name. He looked up and saw Casey Wells gesturing that he had a phone call. He nodded and headed back toward his office.

"Thanks, Casey. Any idea who it is?"

"Said his name was Tanner. I told him you were just leaving, but he insisted that you'd talk to him."

"He's right. He's the bounty hunter that's trying to chase down the man who almost blew up my family. So anytime he calls I want to know about it right away."

"Sure thing, Ranger Larabee."

Casey Wells was nineteen years old and had just begun working in the office about four months earlier. She wasn't a Ranger-like JD she was too young-and really had no desire to do the job anyway. But her father had been a Ranger and when an opening came up for an office assistant, she was hired quickly, her skills just as important in procuring the job as her ties to the agency. She pretty much did all the menial jobs, typing up the Rangers' reports, making coffee, answering phones and filing just to name a few.

Chris had also found that she was a spitfire, especially when it came to one JD Dunne. She was constantly egging him on, telling him she could get information just as faster or faster than he could. JD liked her, although he would never admit it to the men or women in the office. In fact, he outright denied his affections on several occasions, however the fact that he bought her a birthday gift the month before went a long way toward disavowing those denials.

Chris sat down behind his desk and picked up the phone receiver. He punched the blinking line. "Larabee."

"Hey, Cowboy. I found him."

"Where are you?" he asked, quickly grabbing a pen and sliding a pad of paper closer to him.

"Meet me at the warehouse on the corner of Spur Street and Western Way. The three story building on the southeast corner. Come around the back, you'll see the open overhead door. I'll meet you just inside there."

"Fifteen minutes."

"No hurry. He ain't going nowhere." Chris heard a chuckle as the phone disconnected.

He ripped off the top sheet and stuffed it in his pocket. "Buck!" he called as he raced back out of his office.

Wilmington poked his head out into the outer office. "Yo!"

"Let's ride! Tanner just called!"

"Hooyah!"

The two men ran out to Chris' truck and hopped in. Chris shoved the truck into drive and peeled out of the parking lot, the blue light attached to his dashboard flashing.

Twelve minutes later, they pulled around the back of the warehouse. Both men cautiously stepped from the vehicle, reaching for their weapons. Even though Tanner had called to report that he'd found Blackfox, neither man was taking any chances. They hadn't stayed alive this long by being stupid or careless.

They walked through the large overhead door, entering a large room, with a story that covered two stories. Buck took the left side, Chris the right, both men glancing around.

"Nobody here but me and Blackfox," a voice called from above. Buck and Chris looked up to find Tanner leaning slightly over the second floor railing, his body hidden behind several stacked crates. He was looking down at them through the sights of a rifle.

"Morning, boys," he called amiable before raising the barrel to the ceiling. He flipped the safety on and moved toward the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom, Larabee and Wilmington had joined him.

"Where is he?" Chris growled.

Tanner gestured with his head toward a hallway.

"You left him alone?" Larabee snarled as he moved that direction.

"Like I told ya on the phone, he ain't going nowhere."

Chris stopped. "He is still alive, isn't he?"

Vin laughed. "Oh, yeah. But he did find out that the handcuff key he keeps stashed inside his belt just won't work on good ol' Texas rope."

Buck laughed and slapped Tanner on the back. "Ha! That's rich! I love this guy, Chris!"

Larabee just smiled. "We'll need to be sure to take that key away from him before we take him to jail." He turned and again started down the hallway.

"Middle door on the left," Tanner called.

Chris walked in the door and froze. The only thing in the room was a chair. And the man seated in the chair. A dirty rag was shoved into his mouth, another wrapped around his head to keep the gag in place. His legs were each tied to a chair leg and his arms were hooked around the back of the high back chair.

Chris moved further into the room, walking around the chair. Blackfox's arms were trussed together at the wrists and the elbows. Another rope tied his arms to the chair and wrapped around his chest.

Buck and Tanner were a few steps behind him. Tanner stopped by the door, leaning against the door jam. Buck continued into the room and joined Chris.

"Whooeee, Tanner! Where the hell did you learn to hog tie a man like that!"

"I grew up on a ranch. And the cattle there were smarter than Blackfox."

The trussed up man glared at Tanner, inarticulate words trying to escape the gag.

"I suggest you put the gag back in place when you're done talking. He's got a real nasty mouth."

Chris nodded as he reached up and untied the gag and pulled the filthy rag from Blackfox's mouth. As soon as the rag was removed Blackfox started cussing.

"God damn! You bastard!" he snarled at Tanner, who just smiled back at him from the doorway. "I'll kill you for this, you son of a bitch!"

"Shut up!" Larabee snapped.

"Ah, Larabee. The great Texas Ranger! How's the wife and kid?"

Larabee backhanded him. "Chris!' Buck yelled.

"He tried to kill Sarah and Adam, Buck."

"And he'll walk if you keep that up."

"No, he won't," Tanner insisted. "You see, Blackfox and I already had a real nice talk. Didn't we, Johnny?"

Blackfox paled and looked away. Tanner smiled.

"Tell the nice Ranger what you told me, Johnny."

Larabee and Wilmington exchanged confused glances.

"I don't have to say anything."

"That's right, you don't," Tanner said as he walked closer. "But we did make an agreement you and I, didn't we, Johnny-boy?" Vin moved behind the chair and leaned close. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Tell Ranger Larabee what you know about the hit on his family, Johnny."

Blackfox swallowed loudly, but shook his head. Tanner reached up and placed his left hand lightly on the back of Blackfox's neck, causing the man to flinch. From the expression on his face, Buck and Chris knew that if he wasn't tied down to the chair he would have jumped several feet.

Tanner put his right hand on Blackfox's forehead and tilted his head back exposing his throat. Vin's left hand moved around to the front of Blackfox's neck, the index finger dragging across his Adam's apple, which bobbed up and down as he swallowed hard.

Blackfox eyes widened and darted back and forth, settling first on Chris, then on Wilmington when he saw no sympathy in Larabee's eyes.

"Please," he whispered. "Don't let him cut me."

"Shhhh," Vin crooned. "No need to cut you, Johnny. But you need to tell the Ranger everything you know." Tanner continually moved his finger back and forth across Blackfox's taut throat.

"I can't. He'll kill me," he said, so softly that the others could barely hear him.

"Who?" Chris repeated.

Blackfox flinched and closed his eyes. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

Tanner released him and stepped back. The prisoner coughed his dry throat protesting the treatment it had received. Tanner reached around behind him and pulled a canteen from his belt. Uncapping it, he moved next to Blackfox and placed the canteen against his lips, letting the man drink his fill.

Blackfox looked at Larabee. He thought about playing with Larabee a bit, but one glance back at Tanner quelled that desire. And Tanner knew it, judging by the feral grin that graced his lips. Blackfox looked back at Larabee.

"I don't know much about him, only that his first name is Cletus. He never gave a last name. He paid in cash, so I didn't ask."

"Why my family? This got something to do with a case?"

"Hell, no. This was personal."

"Personal?"

"I can't tell you anymore." Tanner moved close again. "No!" Blackfox yelled, leaning away from the bounty hunter. "I don't know any more! He didn't give me details and I didn't ask for any. That's the way I work. He gave me a location and a vehicle description and told me he wanted it to blow when the vehicle moved. And he paid in cash, in advance. Wrapped that metal claw around my neck and told me he'd kill me if it didn't happen as planned." Blackfox swallowed hard. "I swear, that's all I know."

The three men exchanged glances. "What do you mean a metal claw?" Chris asked.

"He's got a fake hand. But not like most people, it don't look real. His is shiny metal. He wears this black velvet glove over it. And he carries this little bottle of oil with him to make sure it doesn't squeak. He's like the fucking Tin Man."

"How did he know about you?" Tanner asked.

"I...I don't know! I swear. He approached me one day in Waco. I was getting ready to head to Dallas, take a break. He told me he had a job for me. Told me I either do the job or he kills me. He's crazy, man. He was reading the paper, something about a police officer who'd been shot after pulling someone over for speeding. He started laughing, saying if it was him that was pulled over, he'd have made the cop suffer more." Blackfox shivered.

Tanner looked over at Larabee. Chris nodded and Vin started untying the prisoner.

"Remember what I told you before, Blackfox," Tanner said. "I ain't a cop, so I don't have to be gentle with you." He left Blackfox's arms tied at the wrists and elbows, but released the ropes around his chest and legs, and the one that attached his arms to the chair.

"We'll take him from here," Larabee said.

"I don't think so," Vin replied.

"He's wanted for the attempted murder of my wife and son!"

"Then you can follow me in and press your charges against him. But he's my paycheck. I don't turn him over to nobody until I get my paperwork signed."

"Why don't you go with him, Chris," Buck suggested.

"Won't work, I don't have a back seat," Tanner said. "Look, it doesn't matter to me which precinct I turn this scum into. I'll follow you and we can handle the paperwork, then he's all yours." Vin pushed the prisoner ahead of him, keeping him close. In the hall, he walked back into the large bay where Chris and Buck had entered and walked behind a stack of crates. The other two follow them around to where Tanner had parked his jeep.

He opened the passenger door and forced Blackfox to sit. Using the ropes he'd used to tie him to the chair, he again trussed Blackfox up, using heavy-duty hooks welded to the floor. After having a prisoner kick him once several years ago while transporting him, he'd installed the hook to secure the feet of any future prisoners.

Buck laughed and shook his head after eyeing the set-up. "Geez, Tanner, this is a rolling prison wagon." Vin just smiled. After tying off the last rope, which he lashed around Blackfox's chest and tied behind the seat, he patted his prisoner on top of the head.

"Stay," Vin teased with a smirk. "Good boy."

"You son of a bitch! You already have my hands tied."

"I told you before, I'm not taking any chances. Now, you want that gag put back in as well?" Blackfox grimaced and shook his head. "Good. Just keep your trap shut until we get you to the police department and you might get out of this in one piece." He turned to the other two men. "So, Larabee, what'll it be?"

Chris frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but then he looked at again at Blackfox. A grin began to form on his face. "I like your style, Tanner. Can you bring him along to the Ranger Headquarters? You know where that is? We should have the paperwork we need to fill out there."

"One police agency is as good as any other. You're the state law enforcement agency. I would hope you have the forms I need," Vin teased. "That the big building down on Texas Street?"

"That's the one. If you get there before us, go around the back and into the garage. I'll call ahead and let them know you're coming. Wait for us in the garage. You need a pass card for the elevator."

"Okay. See ya in a bit."

Tanner climbed into his vehicle and started it up. As he did Blackfox started cussing and calling his captor names again. Larabee walked over to the passenger seat and leaned in to within a few inches of Blackfox's face. He lifted up a hand, which held the gag that had been used earlier.

"I'd be happy to shove this back down your throat, Blackfox," he said softly. "It'll take a surgical team to remove it."

The prisoner shut up.

Vin put the jeep in gear. Backing out of the close confines behind the crates, he drove out of the building, passing Buck and Chris as they jogged back to Larabee's truck.

/


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sarah Larabee leaned out the back door and called her son. "Adam, lunch is ready."

"Coming, Mama."

A few seconds later, she saw the young boy running toward the house. She smiled as he jumped up onto the back steps. He ran toward her, stopping short when he reached her.

"Hotdogs?"

"Don't you ever get tired of hotdogs?"

"No, Mama, hotdogs are good."

"What if I made hamburgers?"

"Rather have hotdogs."

She laughed. "You win. Hotdogs it is." Which is a good thing, she thought, since she already had the hotdogs cooked. One of these days, he was going to want hamburgers, and she wouldn't be prepared.

"Yippee!" He ran inside and started to sit down.

"Hands, young man," she scolded lightly.

Adam jumped up and raced down the hall.

"Walk, Adam!"

"Yes, Mama!"

A minute later he was walking, fast, down the hallway and back into the kitchen. He held up his now clean hands for his mother's inspection before settling back onto his seat again. Sarah put a plate in front of him and a glass of milk. She sat down across from him with her own plate. Adam reached for his hotdog in a bun, dripping with ketchup and mustard. Before he could bring it up to his face, the back door slammed open.

"Where's my lil pard?" Buck Wilmington called out loudly.

"Buck!" Adam jumped up and ran over to his favorite person…other than his mom and dad, of course. The big man scooped the boy up into the air and tossed him over his head. Adam giggled.

"Good thing he hadn't finished lunch yet, Buck," Chris Larabee said from behind him. He and Sarah smiled in amusement. Buck had always been exuberant around Adam. More than once the young boy had brought his meal back up during one of Buck's rousing greetings.

"Aw, heck, pard, I could see he hadn't taken a bite yet. Right, lil pard?"

"Right!" Adam agreed, nodding his head vigorously.

"Best go eat, Adam," Chris said.

"'kay, Dad," he said, wriggling down from Buck arms. He pulled out the chair next to his. "Sit here, Dad."

Larabee walked over and sat down next to his son. This was a daily common ritual with the family, whenever Buck and Chris were able to get away for lunch. Once Chris and his family moved out to the ranch permanently, it wouldn't be convenient to drive home for lunch, so the two men were taking every opportunity to do it while they could.

Sarah put the buns and hotdogs on the table, so the two men could make their own sandwiches, then got them both something to drink.

"Oh, boy! Hotdogs!" Buck exclaimed.

Chris rolled his eyes. Sarah patted him on the shoulder as she handed him a glass of tea.

"Don't worry, honey, I have steaks ready for dinner. That is if you and Buck don't mind grilling."

"Sorry, darlin', I'd love to join y'all, but I got a hot date tonight," Buck informed her.

"Not Nancy again."

"Nope. Found out she was going back to an old boyfriend. Can't believe she'd want him instead of me, but…." He shrugged.

"So, who's the lucky lady?"

Buck grinned and chewed the bite he just taken. Swallowing, he looked up at his best friend's wife. "Katie," he said wistfully.

Sarah sent a questioning look Chris' way. He just shrugged in response and turned his attention to his lunch and his son.

She frowned and looked again at Buck. "So, who is Katie? That's a good Irish name, you know."

"She's gorgeous. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a body that I can't wait to…"

"Buck," Chris warned, flicking his eyes toward Adam.

"Oh, sorry. She's really pretty. She's a flight attendant. I met her last week at that conference I attended on airline security."

"And she lives in Dallas and flies to Europe every week," Chris included.

"Just means that she's well-rounded."

"Hm, in more ways than one," Chris remarked as he fixed his own 'dog.

"Is that so?" Sarah asked, grinning at her husband.

"Yes, at least according to Buck. I haven't met her yet. Remember, you and I spent that weekend at Six Flags with the midget here," he said gesturing to Adam.

"I'm not a midget, Daddy! I just haven't grown all the way up yet!" Adam insisted.

"My apologies, short stuff," Chris teased.

"Daddy!" Adam sat back with his hands on his hips, indignation clear on his face.

Chris winked at him, which caused his son to laugh. "Daddy, you're teasin' me!"

"I sure am. But that just means I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy. Can I have another hotdog?" he asked, licking his small fingers of the ketchup and mustard that were all that remained of the hotdog that had been on his own plate.

"Adam, please use your napkin," Sarah prompted her young son.

The boy first rubbed his hands on his jeans, than picked up his napkin and wiped his face. He smiled at his mother, awaiting her praise.

Chris and Buck chuckled, only to be glared at by Sarah. Her features soften as she turned back to her son. "Adam, dear, next time, use the napkin to wipe your hands as well."

Adam looked at his napkin, then down at his now dirty jeans. Glancing back at his mother, he smiled. "Sorry, Mama. I'll use my napkin next time."

"Thank you, Adam."

"You're welcome, Mama. Daddy, can I have another hotdog?"

Chris shook his head, amused at his son's antics. "Think you can eat another whole one?" he asked. Adam nodded his head. So Chris fixed up another and placed it on Adam's plate. His son reached for the hotdog, freezing when he heard his father clearing his throat. He looked up, gazing at his father between the bangs hanging down over his eyes.

Larabee reached over and pushed the bangs out of Adam's eyes. "What do you say, Adam?"

The boy smiled. "Thank you, Daddy," he said softly.

"You're welcome, son," Chris replied, pride and love evident in his voice and in his eyes. He glanced at his wife and saw a similar expression on her face.

/

Later that day, Ranger Headquarters

"Larabee."

"Tanner here. I may have a line on this Cletus fella."

"Where are you?"

"East side."

Chris looked at his watch. "I'll be leaving the office in about ten minutes. You're not that far from my house. Why don't you meet me there? I'll call Sarah and let her know to expect you. Can you stay for dinner?"

"I never turn down a free meal. Especially a home cooked one."

"See you in a bit."

"Yep."

/

Fifteen minutes later, Tanner pulled his jeep up in front of the Larabee home. He hadn't been back here since the day he'd seen Blackfox try to blow up the Ranger's family. He parked his jeep at the curb. Grabbing the papers on the seat next to him, he climbed out. As he closed the door and began walking up the driveway, he heard a yell.

"He's got Adam!" Sarah Larabee stumbled around the corner of the house. He could see she was bleeding from a cut on her forehead. Tanner saw the man she was yelling about. He was tall and slender, with pale skin. Dressed all in black, he ran across the yard toward a black van parked a few houses up the street.

In his arms he carried a struggling and screaming Adam Larabee. Vin took off. He knew it would be close, as the man was nearer to the van, but was also trying to keep hold of the boy in his arms.

Tanner noticed the sliding side door of the van was already standing open. The man in black, whom Tanner now recognized as Cletus Fowler, jumped into the van and started to close the door. Vin grabbed the door and pushed it back open, dropping the papers he'd been carrying in his hand. He leaped into the van and grabbed the kidnapper.

Fowler, however, was stronger than he looked. He shoved Tanner, knocking him against the side of the vehicle. Vin hit his head, temporarily disorienting him. Fowler took advantage. When Vin looked up, the only thing he saw was a streak of silver heading toward his face.

Pain exploded along his jaw and just before he passed out, he thought "that guy's fist must be made of steel."

/

A few minutes later, Chris Larabee squealed to a stop in front of his house. He saw three police cars there, lights flashing. Throwing his vehicle into park, he jumped out.

"Chris!"

Larabee looked up. He recognized Fred Littleton, a Sergeant with the police department. Littleton had patrolled this part of Houston for over five years and he and Chris had become friends. Larabee ran up to the house.

"Sarah and Adam?" he asked anxiously, berating himself for relaxing his guard once Blackfox was arrested.

"Sarah's inside. Paramedics are taking a look at her."

Chris moved to walk inside. "Chris, wait." The Ranger glared at Littleton. His wife was hurt and he wanted to get to her. "Give me just a minute here, Chris."

"Adam?" Chris had received a frantic call from his wife, crying and saying something about Adam being taken. "Where's Adam?" Larabee stared at Littleton, who turned his face avoiding looking into his eyes. Chris heart sank. "Oh, God! Adam?" he asked, his voice betraying his fear.

"He was taken." Littleton explained.

"Taken? As in kidnapped?"

"Yes."

Chris' knees began to shake and he slowly slid down onto the steps. Littleton followed him down and crouched next to him. "We got a good description of the guy and a vehicle description. It's gone out countywide and we're setting up to put out the Amber Alert. It should start broadcasting within thirty minutes." (Note: for more about Amber Alert go to  .org )

Chris sat on the step, panting, finding it difficult to get any oxygen into his lungs. His eyes followed the officers who seemingly roamed around his yard. He knew they were looking for evidence. As his eyes searched the street he noticed the jeep.

"Where's Tanner?"

"Who?" Littleton asked.

"Vin Tanner. That's his jeep," Chris explained, pointing to the jeep in front of the house.

"I noticed it there. We're running the plates of all the vehicles on the street to be sure they belong to residents."

"He was meeting me here. He had some information about the man who tried to kill my family last week."

"I thought they caught that guy."

"Tanner found the guy who actually placed the bomb, but that man was paid to do it. Vin was meeting me here so we could exchange information on the man who paid him."

"Do you think this guy might be involved?"

"I'd be real surprised if he wasn't. First someone tries to kill them, then takes Adam," his voice broke on the last words. "Find Tanner. I need to go see to Sarah."

Chris took a deep breath and stood. He wiped his face, brushing away the tears that he hadn't noticed earlier. "Tanner might have gotten here about the same time all this happened. He may be out and about on foot looking for the guy…"

"Chris…"

Larabee turned around. His wife stood behind him, her face streaked with tears, a large white bandage on her forehead over her right eye. Her shirt was torn and dirty and her hair disheveled.

He took her shaking hands in his, feeling how cold they were. He guided them around his waist and felt her tightened her grip. Then he wrapped his own arms around Sarah and pulled her close.

"Oh, God, Chris! He took my baby." Her sobs caused her to shake even more, so he held her even closer.

"Shhh. We'll find him, honey. I promise you. We will find him. If I have to look at every square inch on this planet, I will not stop until I find him."

For several minutes, the shattered couple stood locked together on the porch. Officer Littleton kept everyone away in order to give them some needed privacy.

Chris pulled away a short distance. He reached a hand up and pushed the hair from Sarah's face. He kissed her on the forehead, careful not to touch the bandage. Then he kissed her closed eyes and tenderly brushed her lips with his.

She sighed and laid her head against his chest. Littleton hesitantly approached.

"Chris?"

Larabee looked up, keeping his arms wrapped around his wife.

"Can you give me a description of Tanner so I can have my guys keep an eye out?"

A gasp from Sarah caused both men to look her way.

"What is it, Sarah?"

"Vin Tanner, he was there."

"I know, Sarah. I saw his jeep. The officers are looking for him."

"No, Chris, you don't understand. He chased that man. He got into the van. I never saw him get out."

Chris and Littleton exchanged a look.

"Damn. I'll let my men know," the police officer said before he walked away.

"Oh, God, Chris. I forgot, I'm sorry."

"Honey, don't worry about. It's understandable. You're worried about Adam. So am I. We'll find them. And at least Adam isn't alone with whoever it is who took him." Chris pulled his wife back close again.

Two minutes later, Littleton returned. "Why don't we go inside, so I can get some more information."

Chris nodded. With his arm still around Sarah, he led her back into the house. They sat down together on the sofa.

"Tell me what happened, Sarah," he said as Littleton settled into a chair across from them.

"Adam and I were outside in the backyard when you called. After I hung up with you, I told Adam to go inside and change, that we were having company. When I turned back to go into the house, I saw this man standing there. He was dressed in black and was smoking a cigarette." She took a breath. "He scared me, Chris. I never heard him walk up."

"Shhh. It's okay, Sarah. Go on," he urged her.

"I picked Adam up and asked the man what he wanted. He just said 'your son'. Before I could even react he hit me." She reached up and touched the spot on her face that was fast turning into a black eye. "I fell. Chris, I could feel him take Adam from my arms as I fell. Adam started screaming." Tears again began streaming down Sarah's face. "He was crying for me, Chris," she sobbed, her words interrupted by gasping breaths. "I got to my feet and...and chased them around to...the front of the house. But he was...he was too fast. He was already heading toward...a van before I got to the front yard."

Chris began rocking her, losing his own battle with tears. "We'll find him, Sarah. We'll find him."

An officer entered the room and headed straight for Littleton. He leaned over and spoke quietly to the Sergeant for a couple of minutes. Littleton nodded and the officer left.

"Chris." The Ranger looked up when Littleton called his name. "They found the van. It's empty."

Larabee closed his eyes and hugged his wife more tightly. "That's good news," he said, trying to convince himself as well as his wife. "It's good news, Sarah. It means the man took them both."

"How is that good news!" she cried angrily. "It means he still has Adam."

"It means Adam is still alive. He wouldn't have taken him with him otherwise."

"Oh, Chris, our baby...that man..."

"He has Vin too, Sarah."

"So?" she asked, confused.

"Vin will not let Adam be hurt if he can help it."

"We hardly know Vin Tanner, Chris."

"Yeah, I realize that. But I know the kind of man he is. I can't explain why, but I trust him to watch out for Adam. At this point, I can't not trust him."

"Maybe he can get Adam away from that man," Sarah said hopefully.

"Maybe he will. We have to think positively, Sarah. I know Vin won't let Adam be hurt, if he can at all help it."

The couple sat on the couch, trying to comfort each other, as the activity continued around them.

"Chris, there might be some other good news," Littleton said. When Chris looked his way, the Deputy continued. "One of my officers found a file and some paperwork strewn around the area where the van had been parked before the abduction. It might be the information Tanner was bringing over to show you."

"Let me call Buck. He can get our computer guy into the office and get them started on finding out more about this guy."

"I'll have my guy fax a copy to your office."

"Thanks," Chris said, as he reached for the phone, keeping one arm around his wife.

/


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Adam, wake up."

The young boy heard the voice but didn't recognize it. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. His head hurt and he didn't know where he was. Leaning over him was a longhaired man who looked vaguely familiar. He flinched away, sitting up and pushing himself against the wall behind him. The movement caused a pain in his arm and he looked down to see a bruise.

"Sorry, kiddo. Didn't mean to scare you. Do you remember me?"

After a few seconds, Adam nodded. "You're the man who stopped me and Mama from getting in our car."

"That's right. My name is Vin. I'm a friend of your Dad's."

"Daddy's here?" Adam asked, looking around hopefully.

"No, pard, I'm sorry, he's not." The boy's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "But, I'll tell you what. I will do my best to get you back to him. And I know he's looking for you."

"I want my Mama," Adam said, tears filling his eyes.

"I know, little guy, I know. I'm sure she's missing you, too." Vin's heart just about broke at the scared look on the little boy's face. "I'll get you back to your Ma."

"Promise?" Adam whispered, tears slowly rolling down his face.

"I promise," Vin said, wondering just how he would keep that promise, locked up in this room like he was. Vin sat down next to the young boy trying to come up with a way to get out of the room. His head was killing him from the blow he'd received from Fowler. He glanced at his watch. He'd been here in this room with Adam for about four hours. When he woke up in the van, he'd been tied hand and foot.

Fowler had untied his feet so he could walk into the building. He'd then pulled the boy from the van. Adam had also been tied up but appeared to be unconscious when Fowler picked him up. Fowler had put a gun to Adam's head and threatened to shoot the boy if Tanner tried anything. He'd ordered the bounty hunter into the building, which appeared to be an old mill of some kind. The small building sat next to a small river and the area was covered in trees. As Vin looked around he didn't see anything he recognized.

After Fowler left the room, Vin had managed to remove the ropes that bound his arms, his wrists now bloody from the effort. He untied Adam and checked the boy over. He appeared to be drugged, not surprising since Vin had found a puncture mark under the dark bruise. Now, four hours later, Vin was waiting for something to happen.

He looked around the room. It appeared to be a basement storage area. There was one small window, high up on the wall. It was small and he wasn't sure he would fit through it. And he wasn't going to send Adam out of the building alone. The door was wood, but solid judging by the sound it made when he'd kicked it. There was no furniture in the room. Fowler had left two blankets and a tin bucket, which Vin assumed was meant to be used for taking care of calls of nature.

Vin's thoughts were interrupted by the small body moving against him. He looked down. Adam had pressed himself against Vin for comfort. Tanner moved his arm and wrapped it around the boy's trembling body. Pulling the crying child into his lap, he hugged him tightly, hoping to at least give him some small measure of safety.

"I'm scared, Vin."

"I know, Adam. I'm scared too. But I will do my best to get us both out of here. You willing to help me?" Vin looked down at the boy in his arms and could feel the tremors that shook the small body. He remembered being this frightened as a child and he hadn't had anyone to hold him and tell him they'd make it better. He would do whatever he could to be sure that this young boy was returned to where he belonged.

"What can I do? I'm just a little boy."

"Just do what I tell you, when I tell you. Don't hesitate. Can you do that?"

Adam nodded. "Vin, will we get back in time for Daddy's birthday?"

"When is his birthday?"

"We're having a party for him on Sunday. How many days is that?"

"That's four days away. And I'll do my best to get you back before then, okay?"

"'kay." Further conversation was halted by the sound of someone walking down the stairs. Several seconds later, the door was unlocked and opened. Fowler walked in, cigarette in hand. Adam cringed, causing Vin to tighten his hold on the boy.

"Well, well, well. How sweet." Cletus Fowler was dressed in a dark sweater and dark pants. He smirked, seemingly unconcerned that Tanner had managed to loosen his bonds.

"Let's us out of here, Fowler. You won't get away with this. Larabee knows you're involved in this and he's looking for you."

"He can look all he wants. He'll never find this place." Fowler smiled and took another drag on his cigarette. "Oh, don't get me wrong, eventually he will find you. Just you-dead. The boy will disappear. I have contacts overseas. Young boys are big business in Asia. Young Mr. Larabee will be sold for a large amount of money."

Vin knew that Fowler meant to sell the young boy into sexual slavery. "You're sick! He's only five!"

"Yes, the perfect age for my customers."

"I won't let you take him."

Fowler smiled. "You don't have a choice, Mr. Tanner. I do what I want."

"As long as you're paid," Vin replied with a sneer.

"Well, yes, there is that," Fowler said smugly. "But then you have no room to talk. You are a bounty hunter, after all. You make a living hunting men."

"How much do you want to let us go?"

Fowler burst into laughter. "Oh, that's priceless. You, Larabee and the entire Texas Rangers don't have that much money combined. Oh, no. My client was adamant about what was to befall the young lad. And I daresay, I look forward to fulfilling that part of the contract. I may even send a copy of the film to Larabee and his wife at Christmas. Do you think that by then they'll be anxious to learn of what's become of their handsome boy? Will they watch the film over and over again, just to catch a glimpse of him?"

A whimpering interrupted the conversation. Vin turned his attention to Adam. "Shhhh. It's okay, Adam. Don't listen to him. I won't let that happen, I promise you. And your Dad and Buck are looking for ya. I bet all the Texas Rangers are." Vin looked up at Fowler. "They won't stop until they find you."

Fowler just laughed again. He turned and left the room, but Vin could still hear his laughter even after the door shut and Fowler walked back up the stairs.

"We've got to get out of here, Adam. We can't afford to wait for your father to find us."

"Will he really send me away?"

Vin pulled the boy tight against his chest and rubbed his hand up and down Adam's back. "No, that won't happen. I promise you that. No matter what, I won't let him take you away from me." If I have to kill us both, to keep that from happening, then I will, Tanner thought, praying that the situation never got that desperate.

"Vin?"

"Yeah?" Vin loosened his hold on the child.

"Do you have a little boy?"

"No, Adam, I don't have any kids."

"That's too bad. You give really good hugs."

Vin smiled. "Why, thanks, pard. I'll keep that in mind if I ever have kids someday. But I'll bet my hugs ain't near as good as your Ma's. I remember my Ma's hugs were the best in the world."

"Does your Mama still give you hugs?"

"No, Adam. My Ma died, when I was about your age."

"Don't you get hugs anymore?" Adam asked, lifted his head from Vin's chest.

"Just from people like you."

"I'll make sure Mama hugs you when we get back home," Adam assured the bounty hunter, laying his head back down.

"I bet she'll be so busy hugging you she won't even know I'm there."

"I'll tell her." Adam patted his hand on Vin's arm, giving almost as much comfort as he was receiving.

Vin smiled at the heart of this child. Even locked in a room, scared to death, he was assuring a grown man that once all this was over, that man would be the beneficiary of a hug from the child's mother. He closed his eyes, praying that he would be able to get that hug and that Adam would be there to insist on it.

/

"Damn it, Chris! Will ya give the boy some room?" Buck asked in frustration.

Wilmington and Larabee had been in the office all night. Chris had called Wilmington after he'd finally gotten the full story from Sarah. Buck had taken his date home, then contacted JD Dunne and Casey Wells. The pair had met him at the office where they started to dig a bit deeper into Cletus Fowler. Chris had arrived at the office an hour later, after getting Sarah settled in at the ranch, with several Rangers for company.

Ever since then, Larabee had been hovering over JD's shoulder, begging for something to go on. He knew that every hour that passed meant less of a chance of his son being alive. He only hoped that Vin Tanner's presence meant a better chance for Adam. He'd assured his wife that it did. He just wasn't sure he believed it himself.

The police had located the information that Vin Tanner had dropped in his unsuccessful effort to free Adam from Fowler's grasp. They hoped to find out where he might keep Adam and Tanner.

It was nearing dawn, which meant he'd been up for twenty-four hours. He'd just got off the phone, after having to tell his wife that they had no new leads and that had made him angry. He knew he shouldn't take that anger out on JD, but at the moment he just couldn't care who was in his path.

"I need answers, JD! My son is out there in the hands of a man who already tried to kill him once!"

"Ranger Larabee, I can't make the computer go any faster. There isn't a lot to go on about this guy. We're just lucky you got the information that Mr. Tanner had, otherwise we wouldn't even be this far along."

"Shit!" Chris yelled and threw his coffee cup against the wall, shattering it and spilling brown liquid down the wall.

All activity stopped.

Larabee took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Buck knew he was near the breaking point. But then who wouldn't be.

"Chris, you need to calm down. JD can't work if you're breathing down his neck. Why don't you go back to the ranch and be with Sarah."

"No! I need to be here. I need to be doing something!"

"JD and Casey have got the searches going, Pard. Sarah needs you right now."

"Micah is with her."

"Your foreman isn't who she needs."

Chris turned around and looked at his friend. "I can't go home and tell her we haven't been able to find Adam. Buck, I just can't tell her that." His voice broke. "How am I supposed to tell her that I can't find my own son? I've been able to bring in some of the toughest, most dangerous criminals in Texas history and I can't find a five-year old boy. My **own** five-year old boy!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist into his own chest.

Chris collapsed into a chair. He leaned forward with his face in his hands. Buck gestured to Casey and JD to leave the room. JD closed the door behind them as they left.

Buck pulled a chair over to sit down next to his friend. "Look, pard. JD has got the searches going automatically. He and Casey will follow-up every little bit of information they find. You've said yourself how good JD is with that computer. There is nothing you can do here, as much as you want to. And you know that I will call you as soon as we get anything at all."

Buck placed a hand on Chris' shoulder. "Sarah needs you, Chris, more than she ever has in her life. I know how much you want to be here with us. But at the moment it's a game of 'hurry up and wait'. And you'd be better off waiting at home, with Sarah. She's probably feeling even worse than you."

Chris looked up at his friend in confusion. "Chris, she was there when Adam was taken. She couldn't stop it!"

"What's that supposed to mean, Buck? You blame her for this?!" Chris glared at his friend.

"Of course not! But, if I know Sarah, she's blaming herself."

Chris sat back, stunned. "Oh, God. Of course she is." He shook his head. "It wasn't her fault, Buck. It's mine. I should have known better. I knew Blackfox had been hired and I still let her go back to the house."

"Chris, don't do this to yourself. Sarah isn't to blame and neither are you. Right now, you need to concentrate on Sarah and Adam. Go back to the ranch. Be with your wife. As soon as we get anything here, I will call you personally."

Larabee sighed, tired deep in his bones. "I know you're right. I just need to do something."

"Look, go be with your wife. Take the laptop. I'll have JD send you everything that we have. You can do some searching of your own from the ranch. That way you'll still be involved, but you'll be with Sarah as well. Chris…you know how I feel about Adam. I love that boy. I will not let a stone go unturned to find him."

"Yeah, I know, I know. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have gotten as much done as we have already. You know I'm grateful." He looked up to make sure his friend understood. Buck just nodded. "I'm just so tired, Buck. And so scared. We have to find him." Larabee's voice was soft, the fear obvious. "I can't lose my boy."

"You know we'll do everything we can. The Feds are working on it too. Every Ranger in town is working on this. The Amber Alert has been activated, so everyone in this part of Texas knows that we're looking for Adam. Tom Fisher interrupted his vacation to come in to work. So did Sophia Barrajas. You aren't alone here, Chris. Let us do the work. You go home and put your arms around Sarah. You need it as much as she does."

Chris gave his friend a tiny smile. "What would I do without you, Buck?"

"Probably go to pieces."

Chris snorted. "You're right about that." He stood up. "If Sarah calls, tell her I'm on my way. And have JD send whatever he has on to me."

"I will. You be careful driving, Chris. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to have one of the boys drive you. You could be a target too."

"It's not that far, Buck. I'll be alright. When are the teams at the ranch due to be relieved?"

Wilmington glanced at his watch. "In about two hours."

Chris nodded. "Call me, Buck. No matter what, I want to know if you get anything."

"I will, Chris. You got my word."

"That's always been good enough for me." The two men shook hands.

"Give Sarah my love," Buck told his friend.

Before Chris could get to the door, it opened. A well-dressed man entered.

"Ranger Larabee, I just heard about your son. Have you received any news?"

"Mr. Standish, I'm surprised to see you here so early," Chris said.

Ezra Standish was the new Assistant State's Attorney for the office in Houston. Although he'd only been on the job a few months, he and Chris Larabee had clashed several times, usually about police procedures. Standish insisted they be followed and Chris wasn't against skirting around them if it got the job done. He'd never done anything illegal, of course. After all, he was a Texas Ranger. He wasn't about to put a black mark on the exemplary record of the best law enforcement agency in the country. And he was always able to explain how his actions did adhere to not only the law, but the Ranger way of doing things. In other words, Chris had his own unique was of interpreting some procedures.

But Standish was obsessive when it came to cases he prosecuted. He wanted to be sure he could win his case in court, not have it tossed out due to a technicality. Of course, the Attorney himself wasn't adverse to using subterfuge as means to gain success in the courtroom. He just wanted to be sure his case wasn't tossed due to procedural blunders.

And that was the only reason why Chris had even tolerated him in the beginning. Lately, they'd come to have a mutual, yet grudging, respect for one another. It showed in the fact that Standish was in the office before dawn, inquiring about Larabee's son.

"I am here to offer my services, however they might be needed. I only just discovered the unfortunate circumstances. I was out of town until this morning. My staff is available and is already assisting in the search for any information regarding this miscreant who absconded with your son."

"Thank you," Chris said. "I appreciate any help you can give us."

"If you don't mind my saying so, Mr. Larabee, you appear to be in need of rest. And possibly a shower and change of clothing."

"You do have a way with words, Standish. I was just on my way to the ranch. I need to be with my wife."

"Ah, yes, she must be devastated. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to contact me. The dastardly villain who perpetrated this particular crime will not escape the collective forces of the Texas Rangers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State's Attorney's Office. I also received a call from the Governor while enroute this morning and he assured me that his office would afford any assistance necessary."

"Well, then, I guess I can safely head out," Chris said, grateful for all the attention this case was being given. He knew that because of his position as a law enforcer, special effort was given by his fellow officers. While none of them would shirk their responsibilities in any event, especially with children involved, everyone knew they would always give that little bit more when a fellow officer was involved.

"Thanks, Standish." Chris pulled his keys from this pocket and moved past Standish to the door. "Buck..."

"Yeah?"

"Adam loves you, too."

Buck just smiled as he and Ezra watched Chris walk down the hall, his steps weary.

"He'll be okay, as soon as we find Adam," Buck said softly.

Standish nodded his agreement.

/


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chris wearily walked in the front door of the ranch house. After the near miss with the car bomb and the abduction of his son, he thought it best to move Sarah out to the ranch. Two Rangers were keeping an eye on the grounds. Not only would she have the protection of the Rangers, but the ranch hands were keeping a close eye out as well.

He set his keys down on the side table inside the door and walked into the living room.

"Sarah," he called. Not getting a response, he headed back to their bedroom, hoping his wife had been able to rest. He never made it that far. As he passed the door to Adam's room, he heard crying. Quietly pushing the door open, he looked around.

Sarah sat on the floor next to Adam's toy box. She was slowly putting the toys away, picking them up and running her hands over each one before gently placing it in the box. A sad smile graced her lips. Chris felt his heart break.

"Sarah."

She looked up, hope in her eyes. He shook his head.

"Nothing so far. How are you doing, honey?" he asked as he joined her on the floor.

"I'm holding up, I guess. I finished the laundry this morning and brought Adam's in to put it away. I saw all the toys on the floor. And I remembered one of the last things I told him…was to put them all away after he got cleaned up. But he never got the chance. I…I thought I'd get everything picked up for when he got home."

Chris smiled and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He envied her that confidence, even though he knew it could be fleeting. Both of them had been alternately confident and despairing during the agonizing hours since the kidnapping.

"Every Texas Ranger I know, and a hell of a lot more that I don't know, are working on this case in some way. We will find him."

She sighed and leaned back against his chest. "How come you're home? I thought you were going to stay at Ranger Headquarters." She caressed his forearms with the fingers of each hand.

"I needed to be with you." He tightened his hold around her, laying his head on her shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her perfume, a light rose scent. "Sarah, I am so sorry I haven't been here with you. I wanted so badly to find this guy that I totally pushed aside what you were going through."

She turned to face him and placed her hand over him lips. "Never, never apologize to me for loving our son so much that you would search day and night for him. I can see how exhausted you are. I love you, Chris. And I know how much you love our son. Never apologize for that love. As much as I want you with me, Adam needs you more right now." She leaned toward him and touched her lips to his.

"I love you, my beautiful Sarah," Chris said, running a hand through her auburn hair. "I need you so much. I need your love and your strength. I could have lost you and Adam both the other day. And now Adam…" his voice broke and he found himself wrapped in his wife's embrace. Tears spilled down both faces.

They sat on the floor for a long time, both crying and comforting each other, before Sarah pulled back and moved to stand.

"Come on, handsome. I'll fix you a sandwich and then I want you to lay down for a bit. You need to rest or you won't be strong enough to get back to work and catch the bastard that took our son."

"Will you lay down with me?" he asked.

"I think that can be arranged."

Chris looked at the hand that reached down to him. His eyes traveled up and settled on Sarah's face, her green eyes still red-rimmed, but beautiful nonetheless. He placed his hand in hers and got to his feet. Hand in hand, they walked out of Adam's room.

/

Tanner watched Fowler closely as he once again brought food and water to the captives. Vin looked for a weakness to exploit, but Fowler was careful. He never got too close and he kept a gun trained on them at all times. He left after dropping the bag on the floor. Vin and Adam spoke softly while that ate their meal of sandwiches and bottles of water.

An hour later, Fowler returned to collect their dishes, sneering at the pair as he told them to sleep well. Vin vowed to get out of the room with Adam, the next time Fowler came in. He figured that would be the next morning, as a glance at his watch told him it was after ten. Adam was already asleep, but Vin's mind just wouldn't slow down enough for him to join the young boy.

Fowler had at least supplied them with blankets, although they did little good on the cold floor. Adam's head lay in Vin's lap, a blanket wrapped around him. He seemed to be resting comfortably for the moment, although he was shivering slightly. Vin awkwardly spread the second blanket out on the floor beside him. He pulled Adam up against his chest and moved over onto the blanket.

The boy stirred but didn't wake as Vin lay back. He then reached for the blanket that had been wrapped around Adam and draped it across them both. Adam sighed and snuggled closer into Vin's chest. Tanner kept his arms loosely around his young friend to prevent him from sliding off his chest. He figured at least one of them should stay warm.

/

The sound of the door being opened woke Vin. He was momentarily confused about his location, until he heard that voice.

"Well, it's that just the picture sweetness. You and young Adam becoming close friends there, Mr. Tanner?"

"Fuck off, Fowler."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such language in front of the child. But then I supposed it won't matter in a couple of days. He'll be hearing much worse where he is going."

"Over my dead body."

"That can easily be arranged. In fact, it is being arranged. My client wants to make a statement with your death, Mr. Tanner. What do you think? Should we leave your burned carcass on the steps of the Ranger Headquarters? Or should we be more personal, and leave your head on a stake on the front lawn of Larabee's house?"

"Hope you've got some help, Fowler. Cuz you're gonna need it if you plan on getting Adam away from me while I'm still breathing."

"Trust me, Mr. Tanner, when I say that whether you continue to breathe or not isn't a concern to me. The only reason you're not dead already is because my client doesn't want you dead yet."

"And who would your client be?"

The other man smiled. "Sorry, I don't divulge information on my clients. They pay very well to keep their anonymity. I'm not about to endanger my paycheck."

Fowler dropped a bag onto the floor. "You'll be happy to know that I'll be meeting my client today and will be learning exactly what your fate will be. I'll be sure to share that information when I return." He laughed and stepped back into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. Vin heard the lock click.

"Damn it!" Vin cursed softly.

"Vin?"

Tanner looked at the young boy. "Sorry, Adam. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't. That man did when he came in."

"He woke me up too. I didn't hear him coming this time."

"I have to go to the bathroom, Vin."

"You okay to go by yourself?"

Adam nodded. As the boy went to relieve himself, Vin reached for the paper sack. He opened it and pulled out the sandwiches and water bottles inside.

Adam came back over and sat down next to Vin, both leaning their backs against the wall. "Do you think my dad will find us today?" he asked, reaching for the half-sandwich that Vin handed him

"I don't know. I hope so." Vin opened one of the bottles of water. "I sure hope so." After they ate half of the food and drank one bottle of water between them, Vin decided to do another search of the room. He didn't really expect to find a way out, but he needed to check anyway.

Thirty minutes later, Tanner slid back down against the wall. He was frustrated. And Adam was bored...and scared. The only window in the room was small and high up on the wall. Adam would easily fit through it, but Vin wasn't sure that his larger body would. But he was getting desperate and knew they had to try something.

"Adam, I think we need to try to get out of here."

"How?"

"You see that window up there?" Vin asked, pointed at the window. Adam nodded. "Well, I think we should try to get out that way."

"Okay." Adam looked up at Vin trustingly. Tanner just hoped he was worthy of that trust.

Vin had decided to try to leave right away. Vin hoped that he and Adam would be able to get a fair distance away. He packed up the sack with the extra food and water and wrapped it up in one of the blankets. He tied a knot in the ends of the blankets so that it would be easy to carry over his shoulder.

He moved over to the wall, dragging the second blanket with him. Wrapping the blanket around his fist and turning his head to the side, he punched out the glass. With the cloth still around his hand, he brushed away the loose glass. He unwrapped his hand and shook out the blanket to get rid of as many glass shards as he could.

He then laid the blanket in the glass-less window frame. He walked back over to where Adam stood against the wall. He picked up the blanket with the food and then reached for Adam's hand.

"You ready to get out of here, Adam"

With wide eyes, Adam nodded his head and placed his hand in Vin's. They walked to the far wall. Vin set down this bundle and lifted Adam into his arms. He pushed the boy through the window, being careful not to cut him on any remaining glass fragments. Adam crawled out onto the dirt outside the window. When he was clear, he turned back around.

His eyes got wide. "Vin! Look out!" he yelled.

The warning saved Tanner from a crippling shot to the back, but he felt the bullet slice through his right upper arm. He dropped down to his knees.

"No!" Adam yelled from the window.

Vin looked up in time to see Fowler line up another shot. He lunged forward, hitting Fowler around the knees, causing the man to fall back. As Fowler's arm hit the floor, the gun went skittering across the room. A swinging fist caught Tanner on his wounded arm. He jerked away.

Both men staggered to their feet. Fowler frantically searched for the weapon he'd lost. Vin charged him, slamming him against the wall. Fowler grunted as his back connected solidly with the concrete. Vin brought his knee up, trying to catch his foe in the groin, but the other man twisted away, swinging a fist that smashed into the side of Vin's face.

Vin lost his hold and staggered back a couple of steps. Shaking his head to clear it, he looked up just in time to avoid a kick from Fowler's black leather boot. A raised arm deflected the blow, but pain radiated up Vin's arm as he realized he'd used his already injured limb.

The arm went numb and refused to obey when he reached for Fowler. The kidnapper slammed a boot against the side of Tanner's knee. Vin fell facedown on the floor, Fowler dropped down on top of him.

Vin felt an arm wrap around his neck from behind, cutting of his air. Vin's vision began to blur as he tugged at Fowler's forearm. He swung his elbow back, trying to catch the other man in the stomach, hoping he could loosen the vice-like grip on his neck.

Fowler pulled harder on Vin's neck, bending the bounty hunter backwards. Tanner barely registered the angry, yet tiny, scream that echoed around the room. But he did feel the grip relax slightly around his neck. He heard Fowler cuss, than heard a small thud and gasp. He knew the scream was from Adam and longed to check on him, but couldn't afford to take his attention from Fowler. Using the distraction, Tanner was able to break free from Fowler's hold and quickly rolled onto his back.

Bending his knees, he pulled his legs up, then kicked out, catching Fowler in the stomach with both feet. Pressing his advantage while still trying to draw in a deep breath, Vin moved onto his knees. Fowler was staggering to his feet. Vin grabbed him around the knees and took him down to the floor again, the other man's head bouncing off the floor.

Fowler was dazed, but not enough to take him out of the fight. Still on his back, he swung his arm up, catching Vin in the ribs, causing a sharp pain, which gave Fowler the chance to get the advantage. He reached up and wrapped his prosthetic hand around Vin's throat. The hand felt like steel.

For a second time Vin Tanner found it difficult to draw a breath. He smashed a fist down into Fowler's chest, but the metal hand only loosened a little bit. Three more times he punched Fowler, the last one catching the other man in the face, shattering his nose. The grip around Vin's throat lessened. But he could tell Fowler wasn't out of the fight yet. Then he saw movement to the right.

A tiny, steel-toed boot blurred as it struck Fowler in the side of the head, just above the left ear. Although there wasn't enough force behind it to incapacitate the man, it distracted him enough for Vin to land a debilitating blow.

Fowler went limp, although he was still breathing hard. Vin unsteadily moved off his nemesis, panting, trying to draw enough air into his lungs to keep from passing out. He glanced over to his pint-sized rescuer.

"Adam, are you okay?" he asked, checking to be sure that Fowler was unconscious. Keeping a close eye on the man, he pulled the young boy toward him.

"My arm hurts a little. And my leg hurts." Adam said, rubbing his right arm. Vin gently took the arm and ran his hands along the length.

"Can you move your arm around?" he asked. "Make a fist." The small boy tightened his hand into a fist. "Does that hurt?"

"Just a little."

"Well, I don't think it's broken, but you be careful with it until your folks can get you to the doctor, okay? What happened to your leg?" he asked as he checked the injured limb.

"I hurt it when I jumped back down from the window."

Vin looked up at the small face. "That was very brave, Adam. You saved my life. Thank you."

The young boy beamed with pride, his aches forgotten.

"Are we going home now?"

"Yeah. We're going home." Adam's ankle was slightly swollen, but also didn't appear broken. He just hoped he would still be able to walk on it, at least until they could put some distance from them and Fowler. He hoped that Fowler had left a vehicle nearby.

Vin walked to the doorway and took a quick look around. Spotting some ratty curtains on one window, he pulled them down. Tearing them into strips, he walked back into the room and froze.

Fowler was just beginning to stir. Adam had moved over to the side of the room and picked up the gun and was at that moment raising it up to aim it at Fowler.

"Don't move," he called out. Vin's eye widened in surprise and a small grin fought for a place on his lips. He quashed it though and moved into the room. Staying to the side, not wanting to get between the gun and Fowler, he spoke quietly to the boy.

"Adam, I'm going to tie him up. It's okay." Vin carefully moved closer to Fowler, who was still not completely aware of his surroundings. He quickly rolled Fowler onto his stomach, pulling his arms behind his back and binding them with the strips of fabric. He then did the same to Fowler's legs, binding them at the ankles and the knees. Using another strip he bent Fowler's legs up behind him and attached his wrists and ankles together, effectively hog-tying him.

Using his teeth, he tore the last strip in half. As he pulled Fowler around, he could feel him struggling to free himself.

"Goddamn bastard! I'll kill you for this, Tanner!" Fowler snarled. "I'll kill you, then I'll kill that kid. Then I'll go after Larabee myself."

"You know Fowler, I wouldn't be too quick to go after Chris Larabee. Hell, you can't even handle_ Adam_ Larabee and he's only five!"

When Fowler opened his mouth to argue, Tanner stuffed it with the bundled up fabric. He took the last piece and wrapped it around Fowler's head, securing the gag in place. He glanced at Adam.

"Adam, put the gun down now." He smiled as Fowler's head jerked over to where the young boy still stood with the gun pointing at his kidnapper's head. Adam slowly lowered the gun, then walked over and handed it to Tanner.

"My arms were gettin' tired," he commented.

Vin smiled as he took the gun from Adam and stuffed it in the waist of his jeans at the small of his back. Then he searched Fowler's pocket. He knew that they had to be a distance from town and he was looking for Fowler's car keys. Finally, he found them in a front pocket.

"You ready to get out of here, kiddo?" he asked as he got to his feet. Adam just nodded and reached up a hand. Vin grasped it and they left the room, but not before Vin grabbed the blankets from the floor. He could feel Adam shivering and figured the extra warmth would be needed.

He pulled the door shut behind him and searched for the key that locked it. The loud clunk when the deadbolt slid into place brought a smile to his face.

He looked down at the trusting boy standing next to him. "Let's git!" As they walked from the building, he thought about Chris and Sarah Larabee. He hoped Sarah was okay. He'd noticed that she was bleeding as she ran after her son. He couldn't imagine what they were going through, not knowing where their son was. It had to be a parent's worst nightmare. Fowler had given him little in the way of motive, only that it was personal. Probably someone Larabee had arrested.

Vin wasn't sure if Fowler's boss had demanded a ransom or if whoever it was only did it to hurt Chris. He only knew that the bastard had planned on the Larabee's never seeing their child again.

He didn't want to think about what Fowler had told him would be the young boy's fate. He just knew he had to get Adam back to his family. He looked down at his small companion and smiled. He reached down and picked the boy up. Adam wrapped his legs around Vin's waist, his arms circling the bounty hunter's neck.

"Let's go home," Vin said. He was careful moving up the steps. He hadn't heard anyone else in the building, but didn't want to take any chances.

They made it all the way to the outside. Vin saw a vehicle parked in front of the building. They were halfway to the vehicle when Vin suddenly stopped. He stood listening for several seconds then cursed. He whirled and quickly lifted Adam into his arms, wincing at the pain, and carried him away from the vehicle and the building.

"Vin, what's wrong? Aren't we going in the car?"

"Company's coming, Adam. We have to hide."

"Oh." The voice was so small and so fearful, it caused Vin to falter. He tightened his hold on the boy.

"I won't let them get you again, Adam. I promise. We may have to walk a bit, but we have to keep away from Fowler and his men."

The pair made it into the woods quickly. Vin turned back to see a pickup truck pull up in front of the building, followed by a four-door sedan. Six men exited the vehicles and made their way into the building. Vin knew he had to put some distance between them. He turned and hurried away, going further into the forest that surrounding the site.

/


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Vin was helping Adam over a downed tree when he heard a shout.

"Over here! I just saw them go this way!"

Quick looking around, he spotted a man through the trees. He quickly picked Adam up and darted in the opposite direction. A shot ricocheted off a tree to his right sending bits of tree bark against his face. He pulled Adam closer, shielding the boy against his body.

"Tanner! You can't get away from us!" Fowler yelled. "My men will catch up to you and I will kill you! Slowly! Then that boy is mine!"

Adam tightened his grip around Vin's neck. His fear was obvious. Vin paused long enough to get his bearings, hearing Fowler's men tearing through the woods behind them. He didn't hear anything in front of him, but that didn't mean no one was there. Ducking under a low hanging branch, Vin tried to keep from leaving too much of a trail. He couldn't be sure Fowler hadn't employed someone with a modicum of tracking skills.

He also didn't know how determined Fowler was to re-capture them. It had been several hours since they'd escaped and Fowler was still looking so he wasn't taking any chances. His own determination to get Adam back to his family was strong. He was not going to allow Fowler to get his hands on the kid again. Especially considering what the man and his 'boss' had in mind for the boy's future.

Another shot burned through the air above their heads. He needed to lose his hunters and find a place to hide until they gave up. He headed for the river, hoping to lose them there. Unfortunately he wasn't familiar with the area. And Fowler, or one of his men, might be. He couldn't afford to be caught again. Not at the expense of the young boy trembling in his arms.

/

Three hours later, Vin was still looking for a place to hole up. He was beginning to tire. He'd managed to lose Fowler and his men, at least for now, but he knew that they were still searching the woods for them. Periodically he heard a distant shout. He needed to find some place they could get some rest and keep hidden from the searchers.

Twenty minutes later, he found a cave, half hidden by dead trees and bushes. He slipped inside and checked out the inside as best he could with no light. He didn't see any signs of wild animal habitation.

"Adam, I'm gonna put you down now. I need to go outside and cover up our tracks. I need you to stay here and stay real quiet, okay?"

Adam looked around. He was scared, that much was obvious. "It's dark," he said softly.

Vin knelt down next to him. "I know. I won't be gone long. I promise. But I have to make sure the bad men can't find us."

Adam nodded, even though tears were rolling down his face. "I'll be brave," he whispered.

Tanner had to force himself to leave the young boy. He vowed to finish his task quickly.

/

Chris Larabee paced. He was angry and he was frustrated. But mostly, he was scared. He desperately needed to be doing something…anything…to help find his son.

But Buck had convinced him, rightly so, that his place was with Sarah. But for every minute that passed, his fear increased and his hope faded.

His saving grace was Sarah. Her strength continued to bolster him. Her faith surrounded him. And her courage sustained him.

But she wasn't in the room now. It was one-thirty in the morning and she was sleeping. At least, he'd thought she was. Until he felt her arms slip around his waist from behind.

"My love, you need to rest," she scolded him softly.

He grabbed her hands and brought them up to his face, kissing the palm of first her right hand, then her left. He intertwined his fingers in hers and pressed them against his chest.

She laid her cheek against his back, feeling the warmth of his body through his t-shirt.

He'd only slept in short naps since Adam had been taken. She hadn't gotten much more rest herself. But she knew that he was fighting guilt as well as impatience and frustration. Even using the vast resources of the State of Texas, he had been unable to locate one five-year-old boy. Hell, the resources of the country, now that the FBI was involved.

Chris had almost come to blows with one of the FBI agents who had made remarks in his hearing. Remarks about the chances of Adam being found alive. Only Buck's presence had prevented the fisticuffs. That and the man's departure from the house.

Sarah knew that her husband wanted to be involved in the search, but she was selfishly grateful that he was at home with her now. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that seemed perpetually on the brink of falling.

Chris felt her start to tremble. He turned around and wrapped his arms around her, both in comfort and support. As her legs buckled, he lifted her into his arms and carried her down the hall. He gently laid her on the bed, then without releasing her, he kicked off his shoes and settled his body down next to her.

Lying on his back, he pulled her close, nestling her head against his chest. It wasn't until he felt the tears sliding down into his ear that he realized he was crying, too.

They clung to each other for a long time, until both were too exhausted to remain awake and they finally succumbed to sleep.

/

Man and child huddled together in the cold, damp, dark and tiny cave. When Vin had returned from covering their tracks, Adam had latched onto him and hadn't let go. And Vin didn't blame him one bit. He hated small dark places himself, so he'd allowed the boy to take whatever comfort he could find by keeping close. And in the process, found a tiny bit of comfort himself.

For several hours after they'd holed up, they could hear Fowler and his men in the woods. Twice they had passed within mere feet of the cave opening, but each time had continued on. Vin and Adam had lain quietly, unmoving, afraid of making any sound that would have been heard outside their small enclosure. Adam had buried his face against Vin's neck, his tiny body trembling in fear.

At one point, Fowler had stopped nearby and began to yell.

"Tanner! I'll kill you when I find you! I'll kill you and mutilate your body and leave you out here for the animals! The boy can watch. Then he'll know what will happen to him if he disobeys me!"

Adam whimpered and tightened his hold on Vin. His protector rubbed a hand along his back, quietly reassuring him that he wasn't alone.

Nothing had been heard for over an hour now and it had grown dark outside. He hoped that meant that Fowler had given up. He would try to walk out the next morning and find a road or a phone. Adam was sleeping now, spent from the fear and exhausted from the chase. Vin closed his eyes, exhaustion finally overcoming his own desire to stay alert.

/

"Damn it! It's one man and child! How did they get away from all of you?" Fowler yelled at the six men standing in front of him.

"Sorry, boss. We just can't find hide nor hair of either of 'em," said one man, nervously chewing on a toothpick. "And it's getting too dark now to continue to look."

"Well, we'll start looking again at first light."

"Mr. Fowler, we looked all day. They've gone to ground. We ain't gonna find 'em."

"My client wants them found!"

"Well, then tell your client to come look himself," another man spoke up. "Whoever that guy Tanner is, he knows how to disappear. We ain't seen any sign of them two for hours. Hell, he's probably half way to Kansas by now."

Fowler's response was halted by the ringing of his cellphone. Pulling it from his pocket, he flipped it open and put it to his ear. "Yes?…no…I understand, but we have not been able to locate them….yes…of course…that will be more difficult, she's not alone there….my rates will double….I'll take care of it…yes, I'll let you know when I have her." He hung up the phone then looked back at the men around him. "Your fees will be paid in the usual manner. I have no further use for your services."

Fowler walked to his vehicle and reached under the hood. He'd removed the distributor cap when he realized that Tanner had taken his keys, not wanting to give the other man a means of escape. He now replaced it. He then removed the spare keys from the magnetic holder in the tire well. Ignoring the men still standing around, he started up his vehicle and drove away.

/

Chris came awake slowly, still cocooned under his blankets. He pulled the blanket down just far enough to look at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed. Eight o'clock. He rolled onto his back and brought his hands up to rub his face. Sarah was already up but Chris remembered falling asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

As he was debating whether to shower first or grab some breakfast, he heard the phone ring from the living room. Quickly pushing the blanket down, he climbed out of bed and grabbed the sweatpants from the chair by the bed. Slipping them on, he hurried down the hall.

"He's right here, Buck. Hold on." She handed the phone to Chris and leaned against him wrapping her arms around his waist. Chris pulled her closer as he put the phone to his ear.

"Buck! Talk to me!"

"We got a lead. A small one."

"What?"

"We got a report of someone fitting Fowler's description renting a place in Kendall County. The owner has had it up for sale for quite a while. He told the Sheriff's Deputy that the guy refused to tell him why he wanted the place, but did warn him to keep everyone away. He hinted that a movie was going to be filmed there and that if the owner kept quiet he would be invited to meet the stars."

"Shit. It'll take us three hours to get up to Kendall County!"

"I got the locals checking it out already. They have the coordinates and plan on making a fly-by to see if there is any activity in the area. The Sheriff up there said there is a small airport in the area, so it won't be unusual for small planes to be flying overhead. One of their deputies has his own plane. It's unmarked, so they'll use it for the flyover."

"I want to head up there."

"Chris, it could be nothing."

Larabee closed his eyes. He wanted to be on that plane. Or in a car heading that way at Mach ten. Anything but sitting at home doing nothing.

"Chris, I know you're frustrated, but let them check it out. If there is any evidence that Adam was there, I'll get you up there in the fastest chopper I can find."

"Yeah, okay," Chris sighed. "Let me know as soon as you hear anything, Buck."

"You know it, pard."

Chris hung up the phone. He kissed Sarah on the forehead. "They have a lead to a place where Fowler might have taken Adam. It's in Kendall County. The Sheriff's Department is going to check it out and see if they can find any evidence that Adam is there now, or was there at some time. If they do find anything, Buck and I will fly up there."

"Chris…?"

He looked down, catching the fear in her eyes. "Think positive, isn't that what Nettie is always saying?"

"Oh, how I wish she was here right now."

"Were you able to get a hold of her?"

"Yes. Michael finally found her. I talked to her this morning. She's heading back. I couldn't talk her out of it."

"I'm glad. I sure could use her stubborn optimism right about now."

Sarah nodded. Nettie Wells was an old friend of her mother's. When Elizabeth Connelly, Sarah's mom, had died just before Sarah's sixteenth birthday, Nettie had stepped into the role of surrogate mother for the grief-stricken young woman. When Sarah met Chris, it was Nettie who intervened with Sarah's father, Hank, to allow the marriage to happen. She'd been able to convince Hank that Sarah would just elope if he didn't give his permission for the union. And that would only cause a rift in his relationship with his only child.

Nettie was so much a part of the family, that Adam called her Grandma. Even Buck called her Aunt Nettie. She was a feisty woman who never backed down from a fight and was well known for toting around a shotgun when she made the rounds of her modest ranch, which was only five miles from the Larabee ranch by horseback. The Wells and Larabee ranches shared a boundary line that neither really paid much attention to.

Nettie was known around town as someone who could hold her own with anyone. She had even been known to give a public tongue-lashing to anyone she felt needed it. And that had included both Buck and Chris on more than one occasion. Nettie's husband had died working his ranch, breaking his neck in a fall. And her brother-in-law, William, had died in the line of duty, as a Texas Ranger. After his death, Nettie had taken in William's young daughter, Casey, who now worked in the office with Chris and Buck. Nettie was someone they could all depend on for loving support when it was needed.

"Did Nettie say when she'd get in?"

"No. She was going to try to get the first plane out. I told her to call when she got her flight time and someone would meet her at the airport. I think she's in Colorado this time."

"One of her favorite getaways. Maybe, after this is all over, we can take some time off and take Adam out there for a week or so."

"That would be nice." The couple grew silent, moving to sit on the sofa, each drawing comfort from the other's presence.

/


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Buck, have we gotten any more from the Sheriff?" Chris asked, his voice echoing over the headset they had to use in order to be heard over the sounds of the rotor blades. They were traveling in a Ranger helicopter, fast approaching the old mill.

"Nothing since that last call twenty minutes ago. They found evidence that someone has been living there the last couple of days and tire tracks from two or three vehicles. They also spotted some footprints leading into the woods."

"They follow?"

"As far as they could. They lost the tracks when they hit a rocky spot."

Chris glanced over at his friend. Buck was looking out the window at the ground.

"What aren't you telling me, Buck?"

Wilmington continued to stare out the window for several long seconds. "Nothing, Chris."

"Buck…"

"Look, Chris, it might not mean anything. Let's just wait until we get on site."

"Damn it, Buck!"

Wilmington sighed and closed his eyes briefly. He looked over at Chris and nodded.

"Alright. But remember you asked…they found some blood. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. And it's fairly recent."

"Shit!"

"Now, Chris, we don't know if Adam was even there. And even if he was, it might not be his blood. It could be Fowler's."

"Or Tanner's. And if it's Tanner's, what does that mean for Adam?"

"Don't give up hope, Chris."

Larabee closed his eyes in an attempt to halt the tears he felt building up. After a minute, he rubbed his hands over his face. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. They'd had almost no clues to follow in Adam's abduction. And once they'd finally gotten a clue, it could very well turn out to be Chris' greatest nightmare.

His active mind was conjuring visions of Adam left bleeding in the woods. Or buried somewhere that he would never be found.

"…listening to me, pard?"

Chris blinked, realizing that Buck was still talking to him.

"What?"

"I said, are you listening to me? I don't think you've heard a word I've said for the last ten minutes."

"Sorry, Buck. I just keep getting these pictures of Adam…"

"Don't borrow trouble, Chris. We'll find him. The Sheriff's Office is bringing in the K-9 units to see if they can track whoever went into the woods. But it's supposed to rain this afternoon, so they're not sure how effective the dogs will be."

"God Buck. We gotta find him soon."

"You just keep remembering that Tanner is with Adam. I got a good feeling about the guy, Chris. He'll keep Adam safe."

Chris just nodded as he felt the helicopter losing altitude. He glanced out the window to see a large field that appeared to be the pilot's target landing zone. A patrol car with lights flashing was parked nearby, obviously their ride.

"Let's get up there, Buck. I want to see this place for myself," Chris said as the chopper settled on the ground.

"Right behind ya, pard," Buck replied as he followed his friend from the aircraft.

/

Vin had waited a long time before venturing out of the cave. Leaving Adam behind in the cave once more, he slipped out and scouted around. He couldn't detect anyone in the area so he headed back. He was tired and sore. And his arm was beginning to hurt.

Although the bullet only grazed him, he hadn't had the time or supplies to clean and bandage it. And now it was infected.

He shook the thought away. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He slipped back into the cave. Adam was sitting toward the back, his arms wrapped tightly around his drawn up knees.

"Hey, pard, you ready to get out of here?"

"Are the bad men gone?" Adam asked softly.

"I think so. I can't hear or see anyone out there. But we'll have to go slow and stay quiet, just in case, okay?" Adam nodded but didn't move. Vin hadn't wanted to scare his young charge, but he wouldn't lie to the boy.

"C'mon, the faster we get going the faster we get you home," Vin said with a forced smile. That gave the Adam the incentive to move. He slowly stood up and limped the few steps to Vin's side.

Tanner frowned. "Does your leg hurt, Adam?"

The boy nodded. "A little."

"Let me see." When Adam sat down, Vin gently took the small leg in his hand and ran his fingers up under the denim. Pulling the jeans up, Vin saw some swelling just above the ankle of Adam's right leg.

"Can you move it around?" Adam gingerly moved his foot back and forth, then in a circle.

"Yep, but it hurts."

"Okay, it looks like you sprained it. Guess that means you'll be riding instead of walking."

"Riding?"

"Yep. You've heard of pigging back rides, right?" Adam nodded. "Well, look like you get to ride piggy back today."

Vin picked the young boy up and carried him outside, grimacing slightly at the pull on his injured arm. Once they'd cleared the cave, Vin carefully lifted the boy onto his shoulders. Being careful not to grab Adam's injured ankle, Vin held onto his legs and the two began their trek out of the woods.

He knew it would be a long day. And he'd already wasted most of the morning trying to be sure Fowler was gone from the area. Vin debated on whether to return to the mill, to see if Fowler's car was still there, but decided against it. Instead he headed east, in hopes of finding a town or a road where they could hitch a ride.

/

The search was called off at four o'clock that afternoon. The dogs had followed a trail into the forest, but lost it when the rain started coming down harder. And it was becoming too dangerous for the planes and helicopters to fly.

They still had no proof that the trail would have led to Adam or Tanner, but they had found the footprints of a small child, which gave Chris some hope that Adam had been in the area. And from what they'd seen, the tracks were of a small child and an adult, followed by several other prints.

Chris prayed that meant that Tanner had been able to escape with Adam. He only hoped that Fowler hadn't found them again. He and Buck had reluctantly climbed back into the helicopter for the flight back to Houston. Chris closed his eyes, dreading the return, imaging the look on Sarah's face when he came home without their son.

From his seat, Buck Wilmington watched as a slow tear fell down the cheek of his closest friend. His gaze dropped down to Chris' hand, the knuckles red and scratched from where they slammed into wall of the building when the Sheriff had informed him that the searched was being cancelled due to the weather. The Sheriff had been smart enough to keep his distance from Larabee, otherwise it might have been his face that the fist collided with.

Buck had finally calmed Chris down, but it took some talking to convince the man not to try to search the forest alone. He reminded Chris that Sarah was alone and Fowler was still running loose. That, and the Sheriff's promise that his men would begin looking again as soon as the weather cleared in the morning, prompted Chris to head back home. But he ordered the pilot to take a circuitous route out, and the two passengers kept a close eye peeled to the ground as they flew over.

/

Vin and Adam were huddled under some trees, waiting for the rain to stop. They'd heard some helicopters and a plane in the air quite a distance to the south, but none had come close to their location. Vin figured there must be a small airport in the area. Airport meant people. Once the rain stopped, they'd head that way.

Faintly, he heard the noise of a helicopter coming closer. He cocked his head in an effort to hear better through the rain. It was getting closer!

Vin stood up, trying to find an open spot in the canopy of trees around him. Reaching down, he roused Adam from his dose.

"Adam, c'mon!" he said, insistently.

"What?" the young boy said sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"I hear a helicopter, we gotta try and signal it." He lifted the boy into his arms, not even noticing the injured arm this time, and began to quickly walk toward a clear area. As he walked, he untied the blanket he'd wrapped around his waist. As they entered the clearing, he could hear the helicopter get closer. It sounded like it was almost overhead.

Vin put Adam down and looked up. The chopper was passing slightly to the south of them and downhill from their location. He began to wave the blanket over his head. He thought about using the gun he had taken from Fowler but decided against it.

He didn't want to alert Fowler, if he and his men were still in the area. Also, he figured he might need the weapon. And he knew it would be impossible for anyone in the chopper to hear a shot over the noise from the rotors. For several frantic seconds he hoped for some indication that someone on board had seen him. But the aircraft continued on its way, never deviating from its path.

Vin slumped, his arm slowly lowering, the blanket dropping into the mud at his feet. He continued to watch as the helicopter flew into the distance, eventually getting too far away to see. The rain pelted him, plastering his hair against his face, raindrops running down his cheeks. Raindrops mixing with tears of frustration.

"Vin?"

Tanner blinked at looked down. Adam stood in front of him. The boy was as bedraggled and worn out as the man. Vin took a deep breath.

"Sorry, pard. I guess we walk out."

Adam dropped down in the mud. "I'm tired, Vin. I wanna go home." He pulled his knees up and buried his face in his arms.

His sobs tore at Vin's heart. He reached down and picked up the young boy. Holding him close, he began walking again, but slowly, since it was hard to see with his own tears blinding him.

/

Chris opened his eyes, unsure what had disturbed his sleep. He and Buck had arrived home wet and weary. Sarah had fed them both and sent them straight to bed. Sarah lay next to him now. Buck was in the guest room down the hall.

He lay unmoving, listening. There it was again. He quietly slipped from under the sheet, reaching into the drawer of his nightstand. He pulled out his service revolver.

Shirtless and barefoot, wearing only a pair of boxers, he silently padded to the door of his bedroom. He stopped to listen again, but heard only silence.

"Chris?"

"Shhh," he said, looking over his shoulder to see Sarah sitting up in bed. He put a finger to his lips. "Stay put." He reached down and turned the knob, pulling open the door and slipping out of the room.

As he stepped down the hall, he stopped at the door to Buck's room. The door opened and Buck joined him in the hall, gun in hand. He'd apparently heard the noises, too. The pair moved into the living room.

"So nice of you to join us, Ranger Larabee." Buck and Chris spun, guns raised, to face the voice as the lights flared on.

"Fowler!" Chris snarled, the grip tightening on his weapon. Only the thought of Adam still missing prevented him from placing a bullet between the dark eyes of the man before him.

"Ah, I see my fame has proceeded me," the man said smugly, striking a match and lighting the slim cigar he held in his other hand. Two men stood on either side of him, guns raised and pointed at the Rangers. "It looks like we have a stand-off here."

"Where's my son?!" Nothing else mattered at the moment. This was the man who took Adam and Chris was determined to find out where he was.

"Ah, young Adam, such a handsome lad. Pity he had to misbehave."

Chris took a step toward the man, only to be stopped a hissed warning from Buck. "Chris, don't move. There's another one to your left."

Larabee turned his head as he heard the click of a safety being disengaged on the fourth man's weapon, but he kept his own gun trained on Fowler.

"If you gentlemen will just lower your guns, we'll get what we came for and be on our way," Fowler directed. When neither man moved, Fowler shook his head. "Gentlemen, my client was very clear on the merchandise. Mrs. Larabee will be accompanying us."

"Over my dead body!" Chris yelled.

"That's not part of my client's instructions. On the contrary, the idea is for you to live and suffer."

"What have you done with my son?" Chris asked, his finger tightening ever so slightly on the trigger.

"I hope you enjoyed your time with him while you had him," Fowler commented, inhaling on the cigarillo that he smoked. "Because he's currently on his way to his new owner."

He smiled as the realization sunk in for Chris just what he was saying.

The shot surprised no one. Instinctively, Fowler dived sideways, although slower than he'd planned. The bullet grazed him, slicing along his ribcage. Chris screamed out his rage.

A second shot, from Buck's gun, followed a split second behind. It took out one of the men that had been standing next to Fowler. He then turned and fired at the man who had been to Chris' left, striking him in the chest. The last man, the other one who had been next to Fowler, was turning to fire at Chris, who was ignoring everyone in the room except Fowler.

Buck moved, tackling Chris and dragging him behind the oversized sofa. Larabee fought him, still intent on reaching Fowler.

"Let me go!"

"Chris, stop it! You're gonna get yourself killed."

"Did you hear him? Did you hear what he said?!"

"Yeah, I heard him. I also know that he might be lying!" Chris stopped fighting and stared at his friend. "We gotta take him alive if we want to find out for sure."

Two shots slammed into the sofa, causing both men to flinch and crouch lower. They split up, each going to opposite sides of the large piece of furniture.

"On three," Buck said. Chris nodded, then silently counted down. On three, both men stood and fired off several shots. A cry indicated they'd hit either Fowler or his remaining man.

More shots came their way from two separate weapons. So Fowler and his man were still functioning. Neither Buck nor Chris had extra ammunition, and their fifteen-round magazines were half empty. Chris wondered what had happened to the two Texas Rangers who were supposed to be patrolling outside.

The sound of breaking glass down the hallway was followed by the roar of a shotgun.

"Sarah!" Chris yelled.

Chris started to move to join his wife, but jumped back when a bullet slammed into the wall near his head. A second blast from the shotgun was followed by a loud crash in the bedroom.

"Sarah!"

"I'm fine, Chris," she yelled back. "I'm not hurt!"

Chris slumped against the back of the bullet-riddled sofa in relief. Glancing once at Buck, his features turned hard. "Time to finish this."

Buck nodded. "I'm with ya, pard."

Movement down the hall drew Chris' attention. It was Sarah, on her belly, cradling the shotgun in her arms. She crawled out of their bedroom and across the hall into Adam's room. He didn't know what had happened in their bedroom, but she was safe for the moment, and that's what counted.

He turned his attention back to the two men in the room. A reflection in the glass showed him that Fowler was heading for the sliding glass door. A quick shot shattered the glass, showering the kidnapper with shards. A muffled curse brought a smile to Larabee's face. But then he noticed that Fowler was taking advantage of the shattered door, crawling through the broken door onto the back deck.

Chris and Buck rose together and fired off two simultaneous shots at the last man who was trying to follow his boss. The shots hit him, one in the shoulder, one in the leg, flinging him against the wall. He slid down, leaving a bright red stain on the blue paint.

"Larabee!"

Both Rangers turned, freezing when the recognized another Ranger, blood flowing down the right side of this face.

"Slade, are you okay?" Buck asked.

"Yeah, Marcus is down, but still breathing. How many more are there?"

"Just one," Chris growled. "Buck, check the bedroom. Slade, cuff this one." Chris gestured toward the man against the wall. "And check the others; make sure they're dead."

"Got it. I already called for backup and paramedics," he said as he moved toward the last man that had been shot. While Buck kept him covered, Slade cuffed the injured man, not caring if he caused him pain. After quickly checking the others, he and Wilmington headed down the hallway.

Buck looked back, seeing Chris slip out the shattered slider. "Don't kill him, Chris," he whispered to himself. "We still need to find Adam."

/


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Larabee moved onto the deck. He could see Fowler limping toward the stable. He followed, determined to catch the man. He would use any means necessary to get the information he wanted. Any means.

Chris saw Fowler enter the stable about the same time as he heard the sirens of the responding backup. Chris entered through a side door. He wasn't sure what Fowler had in mind when he entered the barn. He'd expected the man to head toward his vehicle, try to escape.

"Fowler!"

The kidnapper turned and saw Larabee not fifteen feet from him. He smiled.

"Ranger Larabee. I see you survived. That's too bad."

"You're under arrest, Fowler." Chris aimed his gun at the other man.

Fowler reached slowly into his pocket, hesitating only slightly when Chris stepped closer. He pulled out a pack of matches and struck one, the flame casting flickering shadows in the nearly dark barn.

"Now, Ranger Larabee, I seriously doubt that you would shoot me. At least, not to kill. After all, how then would you find your son? Only I know where he is. Only I know where he is being shipped to. Only I know the name of his new owner."

"You bastard!"

Chris saw Fowler glance toward the hale bales stacked against the wall behind him. "Shit! Don't do it, Fowler. If those horses panic, we'll both die in here."

Fowler just smiled.

Chris ran forward, time slowing down around him. He knew he'd never reach Fowler in time and he could only watched as the match drop onto the dry hay.

Chris dove at Fowler, taking the man to the ground as the hay bale caught fire. The two men wrestled as the fire grew. The frightened whinnies of half a dozen horses were heard over their grunts and curses. Chris' gun slid across the dirt floor, knocked from his hand by a kick from Fowler.

"Chris!" a voice called. Larabee didn't turn, but knew the voice.

"Micah, get the horses out of the stable! Get that fire out!" he yelled just before swinging a fist that connected with Fowler's jaw.

The foreman and two other hands ran into the stable. Micah pulled down the hose from the wall just inside the stable door. The other two men quickly opened the corral gate and then one by one moved the horses from the stable to the corral.

Chris and Fowler continued to fight. Both men had blood on their faces and both were panting from the exertion. Fowler ran at Chris, slamming him against the stable wall. Larabee grunted, grimacing from the pain. He pulled his arm up, smashing his elbow against the side of Fowler's head.

Fowler groaned and moved away, but not before Chris kicked out, catching Fowler on the side of the leg, just above the bullet wound he'd sustained during the earlier shoot-out in the house.

Fowler howled and dropped to his knees. Chris staggered over to him, breathing heavily. He reached down the grab Fowler, only to cry out and fall backward as Fowler tossed a handful of dirt into his eyes. He tripped over something on the ground, landing hard on his back.

His vision cleared just as a shot rang out. Looking up, he saw Fowler standing over him. In his hands was an ax, raised over his head, ready to slice down into Chris. A look of surprised was on his face and a large red stain was growing on his chest.

The ax dropped to the ground, bouncing once before landing flat. Fowler dropped to his knees, his hands against the wound. The dazed look on his face changed as his eyes met Larabee's. He smiled.

"I lied. He's dead." Then he fell forward, landing face first in the dirt.

"Noooooooooooooooooo!" Chris screamed. He dragged Fowler onto his back. "Wake up, you bastard! Tell me where he is!" Chris shook the man, even as he knew it was hopeless. "Tell me! Don't you die, you son of a bitch! Tell me where Adam is!"

Fowler opened his eyes. Coughing, spitting up blood, he smiled. "You'll never know."

"Who paid you? Where is my son?!"

"My...secret." Fowler coughed once more, then nothing. His eyes stared at nothing and his heart stopped.

"NO! Tell me!" Chris screamed again, pounding his fist on Fowler's chest. "Tell me."

Micah and the two hands turned to look at Buck, standing in the stable door with two Texas Rangers. He still held his gun in his hand, but tears were streaming down his face.

"Oh, God. Chris, I'm sorry. I didn't wanna kill him. I didn't have a choice. Oh, God."

"He never told me." He raised his head. "Buck, he said Adam...he said Adam was dead."

A gasp drew their attention behind Buck. Sarah stood there, dressed only in the long t-shirt she wore to bed. She'd heard Chris' words. "No, no he can't be. No." She shook her head in denial, her eyes not leaving those of her husband, pleading with him to tell her where their son was and that he was safe.

Chris stood and moved quickly to her. "Shhh, Sarah, it's okay. It's okay. We don't know anything for sure. He lied before. Shhh." He gathered her in his arms and held on tight. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"He's alive, Chris. He has to be alive. I would know if...I would know. I'm his mother. A mother would know," she insisted.

Chris turned and moved away, his arms stills wrapped around her trembling body, wanting to get her away from the dead body in the stable. He wanted to give her a chance to break down in private, if that's what she needed to do. And he wasn't so sure he wouldn't join her.

"Chris, not the house," Buck called out.

He stopped in confusion. Then he remembered. "Shit."

"Take her over to my place, Chris," Micah said. "Buck can come get ya if he needs ya."

"I'll bring ya both some clothes Chris," Buck said.

Larabee nodded and steered his wife in the other direction.

Behind him, chaos ensued as more and more emergency personnel arrived on the scene. But silence surrounded the couple as they slowly made their way toward the foreman's small cabin that stood a hundred yards away.

Buck watched them go, praying that Fowler was lying once again. Praying that he hadn't just killed their only chance of finding Adam.

/

Two hours later, Buck entered the cabin. He moved into the main room to find Chris and Sarah stretched out together on the sofa. Both appeared to be asleep. He turned to leave, not wanting to disturb them.

"What is it, Buck?" Chris said.

Turning back, he saw them both looking at him, despair and agony radiating from two pairs of eyes.

"I just came by to let you know that the Crime Scene Unit is going to be awhile yet. Probably still be collecting evidence most of tomorrow. I think you should take Sarah to my place tonight."

"No," Sarah said, sitting up. "I know I still have to give a statement. Those two men in the bedroom..."

"You can do that tomorrow, hon," Buck said to the woman whom he considered a sister.

"I gave my statement already. So did Slade and Marcus. You two can give your statements in the morning."

"Buck, we already talked about this," Chris told his friend. "We'd rather do it tonight, get it over with, while it's still fresh."

"You sure, pard?" Buck asked, concerned for both his friends.

"Yeah, we're sure."

"Buck, those men...are they dead?"

"Yeah, darling, they are. The two men in the bedroom and two of the men that Chris and I shot, plus Fowler."

"What about the other?" Chris asked.

"Still alive and in surgery at Ben Taub Hospital. We got a guard on him. Slade and Marcus are at the hospital, too."

"Did the bastard talk?"

"We questioned him the best we could. He said he didn't know what we were talking about. He didn't know anything about Adam. Told us Fowler just hired him and his friends yesterday to help him do this job."

He looked at Chris, the bruises on his face starting to show up from his fight with Fowler. "You doing okay, pard? Maybe we should have the doc take a look at you."

"I'm fine."

"I'll be the judge of that," said another voice from the doorway.

All three looked toward the cabin entrance to find Nathan Jackson, Chief Medical Examiner, standing there, one hand holding a medical bag and his face wearing a scowl. The M.E. was, of course, also a medical doctor. Although, unlike most coroners, Nathan actually practiced. He spent a portion of his off time working at a local clinic that was only a few miles from Larabee's ranch.

"Nathan, what brings you out here?" Chris asked.

"You leave bodies lying all over the place and you wonder why I'm here?" the doctor replied with a shake of his head as he plopped down onto the coffee table in front of the sofa. "Now, I understand you took a few good blows. Let's take a look at you." He reached into the bag he'd set down on the table beside him. Chris looked at Buck, who just shrugged, trying without much success to stifle his amusement.

Nathan pulled out his blood pressure cuff and laid it on his lap. Then he found his stethoscope and slipped it around his neck. Picking up the blood pressure cuff, he reached for Chris' arm. Without another word, he wrapped the cuff around Larabee's upper arm and began to check him out.

Chris and Nathan had known each other for years. Therefore Chris knew it would be useless to argue. So he quietly submitted to the exam.

Fifteen minutes later, Nathan declared him fit, if a little banged up.

"Thanks, Nathan. I appreciate you doing this. Saves me a trip to the hospital," Chris said as he accepted a cup of coffee from Buck.

"You should have let the paramedics check you out when they were here earlier, Chris. If you had had any serious injuries, the wait could have been dangerous."

"I knew I wasn't hurt bad, Nathan. And at the moment, getting Sarah away from all that was more important."

Nathan just grunted. Before he could reply further there was a commotion outside.

"Young man, that is my family in there. Now you step aside and let me through or I'll put you over my knee."

Buck chuckled. "Nettie's here." He winked at the others before getting up and heading toward the door.

"Nettie, are you threatening those poor police officers?"

"Buck Wilmington, you get your sorry carcass out here and tell this young whippersnapper to let me in to see my baby girl."

Sarah looked up at Chris and smiled. "I'm thirty-five years old and still her baby girl," she sighed. "But I'm glad she's here."

"Me too," he replied, giving her a one-arm hug. Two seconds later a whirlwind entered the room. A five-foot-six-inch, sixty-two year old, gray-haired whirlwind.

"Sarah, dear, are you alright? Chris Larabee, what's the meaning of all this? Any word on Adam? Are you the one who shot that bastard in the stable? Nathan Jackson, what are you doing sitting there? Get off your duff and get in that kitchen, fix these youngsters something to eat. Buck, make another pot of coffee, strong, you know how I like it. Sarah dear, come to Nettie."

The old woman took a seat next to her adopted daughter. Chris released his hold on his wife, allowing her to lean against Nettie. He and Nettie exchanged worried glances before she reached out a hand and pulled him close as well.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After another cold and wet night in the woods, Vin and Adam began walking again shortly after dawn. They'd finally found a road. It wasn't much of a road, just dirt. But Tanner figured it would lead, eventually, to a main road.

And a couple of hours later he finally put his feet on asphalt again. He stopped, debating which direction to walk. He still had no clue where they were, although he didn't think Fowler had taken them out of Texas. He figured they were probably within a few hours of the Larabee house where the kidnapping had taken place. At least he hoped so.

Adam stood beside him, leaning against Vin's left leg. He knew the young boy was still in some pain from his ankle and his arm. He'd been carrying him most of the time. But the boy hadn't complained. Vin gazed down at the child and smiled. Adam had been fairly quiet. Vin knew he was tired. They both were.

Vin's own arm was hurting, where Fowler's bullet had grazed it. And it was hot and red, indicating infection had set in. But he knew there was nothing he could do about it until he found some place with clean water and bandages, preferably a hospital or doctor's office.

"Which way, Vin?" the quiet voice asked.

"Well, Adam, I reckon we need to decide that," he said looking up at the sky, "Now, I'm not exactly sure where we are, but this road has to lead somewhere, so I don't suppose it really matters. Judging by the sun," he looked at the sky, "that way is west." He pointed in one direction. "But east is downhill, which would be easier on my tired bones. What do you say?"

"East. My bones are tired too," the young boy said, wrapping his arms around Vin's leg.

Tanner smiled. "Well, then, what would you say to a piggy-back ride?"

Adam nodded. Vin knelt down and Adam climbed onto his back, wrapping his arm loosely around Vin's neck.

"Hang on tight now." Adam just nodded as the pair started off again.

/

Back at the Larabee ranch, things had finally settled down. They had gone back up to the main house just after dawn. Chris was sitting on the couch, with Sarah lying next to him, her head on his thigh, sound asleep. A cleaning crew, hired by Ezra Standish of all people, was in the bedroom trying to see if they could remove the bloodstains from the carpet or if it would need to be replaced. They specialized in clean-ups like this and would do a thorough job, Chris was assured. Not that it mattered at the moment.

The crew had already cleaned up the living room. Except for a few darkened spots on the wood floor and several holes in the walls and furniture, it almost looked like the shooting and deaths hadn't occurred. But all the cleaning in the world wouldn't erase the visions from their memories.

Or the words of Cletus Fowler telling Chris that his son was dead.

Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He shook his head, trying to deny the kidnappers words. He would never believe that Adam was dead, not until they showed him a body.

But, God forgive him, he'd rather his son be dead than...the other alternative. New owner. That's what Fowler had said. And Chris knew the implications of that. His mind tried not to envision what could be happening to his small, defenseless child. But his years in law enforcement gave him all too vivid images of what could, and had, happened to children in cases he'd handled. The idea that the same could be happening to Adam...it was just too much.

He reached for his cup of strong coffee and took a large gulp trying to overcome the taste of bile on his tongue. He could taste the large dose of whiskey that Nettie had added to the brew. Luckily, the cup had been sitting there a while and had cooled off, saving him from burning his mouth.

"Chris?" He turned to find Buck standing next to the sofa. "They're gonna have to rip up the carpet. It's just not coming clean," the big man said quietly.

Chris nodded. He was grateful to his friend for supervising the clean-up crew. It was not something he could have handled right then. And there was no way he would allow Sarah to deal with it. "Whatever they need to do, Buck."

Wilmington nodded and went back down the hall. Sarah began to moan in her sleep. Chris placed his hand on her head and softly stroked her hair, until she calmed down.

He closed his eyes and laid his head on the back of the sofa. He could hear the crew beginning to rip up the carpet. Other noises filtered in from the kitchen, where Nettie had taken over, ready to make sure the couple kept up their strength. And he could hear the hands outside, making sure the animals were being cared for.

Nathan had headed back to his office to begin the autopsies on the men who had died. Even though cause of death was pretty obvious, an official report still had to be written.

Sarah and Chris had completed their statements, as had Buck, so all they could do now was wait. And pray.

Pray that Fowler had lied. Pray that Tanner had been able to get away with Adam. Pray that their son would be returned.

Chris never felt the tears that rolled down his face as his exhaustion finally overtook his body and allowed him to sleep.

/

Vin and Adam trudged along the little-used road. They hadn't seen any vehicles on the road in the last thirty minutes. It was approaching noon and Vin hoped the lack of traffic wouldn't mean another night in the cold woods on the side of the road.

Ten more minutes went by. Adam was once again riding piggyback, but Vin's arm was beginning to hurt and he knew he would eventually have to adjust his hold or force the boy to walk for a bit.

Vin turned at the sound of a vehicle coming up behind them. He stepped closer to the trees, wanting to be able to lose himself and Adam in the trees if it turned out to be Fowler or any of his men.

He watched as the vehicle got closer. Seeing that a woman was driving, he stepped closer to the road once again, and tried to flag her down. She drove right past them. But on a good note, he noticed her put a cellphone to her ear. He only hoped she was calling 9-1-1.

He hitched Adam higher on his back and continued their trek.

"Vin?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"How come the lady didn't stop?"

"She was probably just scared to stop for a stranger."

"Oh." Adam lay his head down on Vin's shoulder.

"You okay, Adam?"

"Yeah, just tired."

"Me too. But somebody will stop. Even if they don't, they might call some help. That lady had a cellphone. I'll bet she was calling 9-1-1 and the police will be here real soon. Your dad probably has your picture plastered everywhere in the state. I'll be he's been showing it on TV and putting it up on telephone poles."

"You mean I'm famous?" Adam asked, perking up at the thought.

Vin chuckled. "Yeah, sorta."

"Maybe Daddy and Uncle Buck are out looking for us?"

"You bet they are."

"Walk faster, Vin!"

The young boy was bouncing now, causing Tanner's arm to hurt even more. He reached back and pulled Adam around to his chest, then lifted him onto his shoulders so that his legs hung down over Vin's chest. Tanner grabbed hold of the boy's legs.

"There, now you can see better," he said. "You keep a close eye out for your Pa and Buck."

"Okay," the boy replied, bouncing again.

Vin found himself bouncing along as well, the thought of help coming from the lady's call giving him a little bit of energy. "Ride 'em cowboy," he called out.

"Giddy up!" Adam cried, his hands softly grabbing handfuls of Vin's hair.

Half a dozen more vehicles drove past them during the next hour, but none of them stopped. Vin was getting frustrated and Adam was asleep again, draped over Vin's head. A few minutes later he heard another vehicle approach them, but he didn't turn around, figuring this one would drive by as well.

"Put the boy down and step away."

Vin jumped at the voice. He turned around to find a police car parked about fifty feet behind them. Two officers were out of the car, standing behind their open doors. He could see that both had a hand on their holstered weapons. The officer standing in the passenger door held a microphone, which he was using to talk over the vehicle loudspeaker system.

"Put the boy down and step away," he repeated.

Vin reached up and lifted a now-awake Adam from his shoulders and set him on the ground, then took two steps back. Adam looked at him, confused. Tanner winked at the young boy to let him know everything was okay.

"Son, what's your name?"

"Adam Larabee." The two officers exchanged looks of relief. Then the officer who had been talking began issuing more instructions. "Mister, keep your hands where we can see them. Adam, walk over to the police car."

Again the boy checked with Tanner. Receiving a nod he walked over to the car. The officer told him to sit in the front seat and wait. He then directed Vin to approach the car and put his hands on the hood.

"I have a gun at my waist at the small of my back," he told them, not wanting them to be surprised. The driver, who was the older of the two officers, pulled his own weapon and pointed it at Vin before gesturing for him to continue toward the patrol car.

Tanner did as instructed patiently, allowing the officers to conduct a pat down search. The younger officer, covered by his partner, removed the gun from Vin's waistband and placed it in his own. He then completed the search.

Once they determined he had no further weapons, the officer pulled out a set of handcuffs.

When Adam saw Vin being cuffed he jumped out of the car.

"NO!" he yelled, running up to the officer and kicking him in the shins. He swung his small fists, connecting with the officer's leg. "You can't arrest him! He didn't do nothing wrong!"

"Whoa, kid, take it easy," the officer said, trying to grab the whirlwind that was attacking him but not having much success.

"Adam! Stop!" The young boy froze and looked up at his new friend. "It's okay, Adam. They have to do this." Vin dropped down to one knee, awkward with his hands cuffed behind him. "Adam, listen to me. It's okay. They have to do this until they can be sure who I am and that I didn't hurt you. All they know is that you got kidnapped and they have to be sure that I'm not the one who took you."

Adam calmed down and pulled away from the officer, then put his hands on his hips and glared defiantly at the officer.

"Vin didn't take me! He saved me from the bad man. You let him go!" he demanded.

Vin couldn't help but smile and could hear the older officer chuckling. The officer who had been the victim of Adam's attack stared dumbfounded at the tiny Larabee heir apparent.

"Uh, look son..." he began.

Adam continued to glare. "I'm not your son. My daddy is Chris Larabee. He's a Texas Ranger and he's gonna beat you up for arresting Vin. You better call him. He'll tell you Vin is his friend."

Vin couldn't stop the laugh that erupted. "Well, boys, I guess you got your orders," he remarked.

The young officer scowled at him, but his partner just chuckled as he slid his weapon back into the holster. "I guess we do. Sorry about the cuffs, but without identification..." he began as he took hold of Vin's elbow and led him to the other side of the patrol unit.

"No problem. I understand," he told the officer, whose name tag read Sandoval. "Fowler took my ID. He's the one who kidnapped Adam. Look, can we just get out of here? We've been walking all morning and I'd really like to sit down."

"Sure. As soon as we get back to our headquarters, we'll make a few calls and get your identity verified."

"No hurry. Just get Adam back to his folks. And maybe we could hit a hospital or something on the way. Adam needs to have his leg and his arm looked at."

"We'll go by the hospital first, then. It looks like you could use a little doctoring yourself," he said, noticing the bloodstain on Vin's arm.

"Minor graze," Tanner assured him. "But I think it's gotten infected. Kinda hard to keep it clean running around the woods."

"Watch your head," Sandoval said, as he placed his hand on the top of Tanner's head and guided him into the back seat.

Adam pushed past the other officer, Percy according to his nametag, and slid onto the seat beside Vin. When Percy tried to convince him to sit in the front seat, Adam glared at him and refused.

"Leave it, Roger," Sandoval said.

"But regulations..."

"...are meant as guidelines, not written in stone," Sandoval finished as he pulled the seat belt down and snapped it in place around Vin. Percy did the same for Adam although he was not happy about it. Both officers then climbed into the front seat.

Sandoval picked up the microphone and advised they were transporting an adult and child to the local hospital and requesting a supervisor to meet them there.

"I don't suppose you could have someone get some food for the boy. We haven't had anything but berries in over a day."

"I think we can come up with something," Sandoval assured him. "What's your name?"

"Vin Tanner."

Sandoval nodded, expecting the name. The Amber Alert bulletin that they'd gotten had indicated that a man had been taken when he tried to prevent the kidnapping.

"You fit the description on the bulletin, but you have to understand we still need to be careful."

"Yeah, I know. Fowler did have accomplices. At least six of them that I knew of. Hell, I'm just grateful not to be running from him anymore. I don't suppose you could tell me if they found him or not."

Percy turned an angry glare toward the back seat. "We aren't allowed to give out that information, sir."

Sandoval glanced at his partner, then met Vin's eyes in the rear view mirror. "He's right, sorry. Until we know for sure who you are, we can't disclose any information."

Vin nodded, not really expecting that they would tell him anything. He felt Adam lean against him, finally lying down with his head in Vin's lap, quickly falling asleep as Sandoval started the patrol car and pulled back onto the road.

A few minutes later, the driver checked the rear view mirror again. He smiled. Tanner had joined his young friend in sleep.

/

Josiah Sanchez was making his rounds. His job as a youth counselor kept him busy. Tonight he was at Baxter Medical Center checking up on a juvenile who had been shot by police while committing an armed robbery. The boy had been one of his and had asked for Josiah when the police tried to get information from him about his parents.

Josiah had spoken to both the boy and the police and was now waiting for his parents to arrive. The shooting had scared the youth and Josiah thought he might finally be able to make some progress with the family. So he settled into the waiting room in the Emergency Department.

As he sat in the uncomfortable chair, sipping a cup of stale, vending-machine coffee, he thumbed through an out-of-date magazine. He looked up when the automatic doors swished open.

A police officer walked in, carrying a small child, who was looking around anxiously.

"Is my Daddy here? Where's Mama?"

"We're going to call them right now," the officer assured him.

Directly behind the pair came another officer, this one leading a man in handcuffs.

"Vin Tanner?" Josiah stood, surprised that he recognized the man in cuffs. "What are you doing in handcuffs, son?"

Vin looked up and smiled. "Hey, Preacher. Haven't seen you in years."

The group stopped near the big man.

"Is he your daddy, Vin?"

"No, Adam, just an old friend."

"But he called you son," the boy insisted.

"He calls everybody son," Vin said with a smile.

"Even the girls?" Adam asked in shock.

"No, son, not the girls," Josiah assured him before looking back at Vin.

"You know this man, sir?" Percy asked from next to Vin.

"Yes, although it's been a few years since I've seen him. His name is Vin Tanner."

"Told ya so," Adam said, still a bit peeved at Percy for putting Vin in cuffs.

"Haven't I see your name on the news lately, Vin?"

"Quite possibly, Preacher. But since when do you own a TV?"

"I don't," Josiah laughed. "But I watch the news on the TV at the shelter. Are you in trouble, son?" he asked, tilting his head and looking down at Vin's arms pulled behind his back.

"No, Preacher. I got caught up in a kidnapping and found myself getting kidnapped too. The officers here just need to call Adam's Dad and get things cleared up."

Josiah smiled in relief. "That's good to know. Hate to think I was wrong about you."

"Nope. I should be outta these bracelets soon."

"Can we go call my Daddy now?" Adam asked.

"Sure, Adam, let's do that," Sandoval said. He hitched the boy further up on his hip and walked away, followed by Vin and Percy.

"Vin, you let me know if you need anything," Josiah called after him as he was led away.

"I will, Preacher, and thanks," Tanner called back over shoulder.

Josiah sat down, tossing his now cold-coffee into the trashcan. He'd seen the news reports about the kidnapping and heard the Amber Alert warning over the radio during the last couple of days. He had hoped that it might be a different Vin Tanner, although he knew that the name was pretty unique. He was glad to see Vin was alive and well, along with the child.

His thoughts were again interrupted, this time by the arrival of the parents he'd been waiting on. He greeted them, letting his thoughts about Vin Tanner be forgotten for the moment.

/


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The emergency room doors swished open and Chris Larabee stalked through, one hand wrapped around that of his wife, who hurried along beside him. Buck Wilmington was close on their heels.

"Ranger Larabee?" They turned toward the voice.

"I'm Larabee," Chris said to the officer standing behind him.

"John Sandoval. You got here fast," he said, putting out his hand.

"Where's Adam?" Chris asked, shaking hands with the officer.

"This way." He turned and headed back down the hall, followed by the trio. He punched the button for the elevator and when they stepped on, hit the button for the third floor.

"How is Adam?" Sarah asked.

"He's fine. A little bruised up. Got himself a sprained ankle and a sore arm. Some cuts and scrapes from walking around in the woods for two days. The doctor says he was also suffering from a bit of dehydration. But nothing severe."

The others sighed in relief. They had known most of this already. Chris had talked to the doctor in order to give him permission to treat Adam prior to their arrival. He had assured them that Adam had no life-threatening injuries. Had in fact told Chris that Adam might not even have to spend the night.

"He's still with Tanner," Sandoval continued. "He refused to leave until you got here. He's afraid if he doesn't stick around, we'll arrest his friend and he flat out told us he was staying put until you got here and proved that Tanner wasn't the bad guy. My partner is with them."

Buck chuckled. "Pure Larabee stubbornness."

"Yeah, well, my partner's shins will agree with you, I'm sure," Sandoval said with a smirk.

"Adam kicked him?" Sarah asked, incredulous.

"Yes, ma'am. But in his defense, he was just protecting his friend."

All three shook their heads, not really surprised. Adam was, after all, a Larabee. He was the kindergarten playground enforcer always looking out for the smaller kids and protecting them from the bullies. And he had never been shy about his willingness to teach those same bullies the difference between right and wrong, Larabee-style.

Sandoval slowly opened the door, putting his finger to his lips to signal for silence. They followed him into the room, smiling at the sight before them.

Vin Tanner lay on his back on the bed. His left sleeve was cut off and a large white bandage was wrapped around the upper arm.

Sprawled across his chest was Adam Larabee, kept in place by Tanner's right arm wrapped around his waist. He had a small bandage on his forehead and an ace bandage wrapped around his sprained ankle.

They had both appeared asleep, but as they moved further into the room, Tanner's eyes opened. He smiled when he saw who was there. He moved his hand on Adam's back.

"Hey, pard, wake up," he said to the sleeping boy as Chris and Sarah moved closer. "We got company."

Adam lifted his head and blinked at Vin.

"Look who's here," Tanner said pointing next to the bed. Adam turned his head, yawning. His eyes got wide.

"Mama! Daddy!" he yelled, as he was suddenly fully awake and pushing off Vin's chest. He launched himself at his father, who caught him and hugged him to his chest, closing his eyes in abject relief.

Sarah wrapped her arms around both her men, smothering the boy in kisses.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asked. "We missed you so much. I love you, Adam. Oh, baby, I missed you!" She ran her fingers through his blond hair.

Now back in the strong, loving arms of his father, Adam began to cry. "I was so scared," he whispered. "I cried, Daddy."

"Shhh. It's okay Adam. I was scared too and I cried like a baby," he said, assuring his son that he'd done nothing wrong. "It's okay, you're safe now. You're safe." He squeezed just a little bit tighter. "I'm so glad we got you back. I missed you so much."

The family stayed in their embraced for several minutes, talking quietly, assuring themselves that they were finally together again. Buck and Percy brought over a couple of chairs, gently pushing Chris and Sarah to sit down. Chris handed the boy over to his mother, pulling her close with one arm. His other hand rubbed up and down Adam's back. He put his chin on Sarah's shoulder, unable to take his eyes off his son.

Sarah softly rocked Adam back and forth. Adam sighed, content to be back in his mother's loving arms. He slowly drifted back to sleep. While they waited for the doctor,

Vin told his story, keeping his voice low in order not to wake the boy.

Sarah clutched Adam closer after hearing about the terrible ordeal he'd been through. Chris kissed him on the temple. "He's safe now, Sarah. He's safe. He's back with us and he's safe."

"I want to take him home, Chris."

Just then the door opened. A distinguished looking older man walked in. Seeing that the young boy in Sarah's arms was asleep, he silently walked over and knelt down before her.

"Afternoon. I'm Doctor Bales. You must be Adam's mom. I just got all the test results back and he's doing just fine. You're free to take him home. Just be sure that he gets plenty of rest and lots of fluids. He was slightly dehydrated, so don't be surprised if he's quite thirsty for the next week or so. It's normal. Lots of water and juice. Keep away from the soft drinks and salt."

He pulled out his stethoscope and checked Adam's breathing. Smiling, he replaced the tool back in his pocket. "He may have some discomfort from the ankle and arm. His ankle is sprained, the arm just bruised. No broken bones. Give him Children's Tylenol if it begins to hurt too much. If that doesn't help, bring him back in or take him to your family doctor. I'll give you a copy of his file before you leave. I'll leave it at the nurse's station."

"Thanks, Doctor," Chris said as he stood. He shook hands with the doctor, who then walked over to the bed.

"Now, you, Mr. Tanner, will be our guest here for a couple of days."

"Doc..."

"No arguments, Mr. Tanner. That arm is infected and you have a fever. Not to mention a concussion. I'll check again in the morning and see how you're doing. If there is enough improvement, maybe I'll release you. But I think it'll probably be at least two days."

"Doc, I can't afford to stay in the hospital. I told you..."

"I won't have a patient of mine released under these conditions, Mr. Tanner.'

"Problem, Doctor?" Chris asked as he moved closer.

"Mr. Tanner insists on leaving. I'm not comfortable with letting him go in this condition."

"Is it absolutely imperative that he stay or just that he be under a doctor's care?"

"Ideally, he should be in the hospital. But if he had a physician, which he doesn't, I would release him on the condition that he checks in with his doctor daily."

"How about if you release him to my...custody...so to speak. I have a friend who is a physician. I'm sure he'll agree to come over and check on Vin every day. Or I can take Vin to his office."

The doctor frowned. Tanner raised an eyebrow, figuring if he could just get out of here, he'd be fine. He'd head back up to the hills and take care of himself. Now that the infection was cleaned out, he'd be just fine on his own.

"You promise to see this doctor friend of Mr. Larabee's?"

Vin glanced up at Chris, then back at Bales. He shrugged. He just wanted out of the hospital. If he had to put up with a doctor prodding and poking him, at least he wouldn't be tied to a bed in a hospital. "Sure, Doc."

"I'll make sure he does," Chris said, glaring at the bounty hunter, the challenge obvious.

Vin just smiled, accepting the challenge.

"I'll go get your release papers then," the doctor said. "But I better not hear of you ending up back in the hospital." The doctor left while Vin and Chris continued to stare at each other.

"Mama? Does this mean Vin is coming with us?"

Sarah looked down at her son. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was. I'm not now."

"I see that," she responded with a smile.

"Mama, can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure, honey," she replied as she leaned closer, although she knew her son's 'secrets' voice was the same as he everyday voice.

"Mama, you gotta give Vin a hug. I promised him you would." Everyone looked over at Tanner, who was carefully sitting up, with Buck's help, not wanting to aggravate his bruised ribs or pounding head.

Percy chuckled, which caused Adam to turn his head and glare at the officer, before facing his mother again.

"It's important, Mama," he said, his most serious express on his face. "He hasn't had a mama-hug since he was little, like me."

"Aw shit!" Tanner mumbled, so that only Wilmington could hear him. "Thought he'd have forgot about that."

"Well, son, you'll learn that Adam Larabee has a really good memory. And if he thinks you need a hug, then you'll get one." Buck proceeded to wrap both arms around the smaller man.

"Git offa me, you demented half-wit!" Tanner groused, slapping at Wilmington's arms.

Sandoval and Percy began to laugh. Chris just slapped his friend on the back and went back to sit next to Sarah and Adam.

"Uncle Buuuuuck! Vin don't need you to hug him. He needs Mama-hugs. His own mama went to heaven."

"Well, now Adam I seem to recall your Uncle Buck wearing a dress once. I think I might even have a picture of it."

Buck quickly released his captive. "Now, Chris, that was an undercover assignment! And you're the one who ordered it!"

"Nonetheless you still looked quite...fetching," Chris said with a smirk.

Sarah frowned. "Come to think of it Buck, I never got my slip back from you."

"Ah...well ya see, darlin'...ah..."

The others a laughed at the big man, for once tongue-tied around a member of the female species.

Adam looked back and forth between his parents and his uncle. He shook his head as if to say he would never understand those crazy grownups. He turned and looked into his mother's eyes. "Vin's mama can't hug him no more and he really needs a mama-hug. I promised him."

She smiled down at her son and kissed his forehead. Then she handed the boy back to his father and stood up, moving next to the bed.

Vin shyly looked up at Sarah. He began to speak, but she placed a hand over his lips.

"Vin Tanner," she began, moving the hand to cup his cheek. "I am sorry that you lost your mother so young. She would surely be very proud of you. And I'm sorry it's been so long since you've received a mother's hug. This mother would like to hug you, to thank you for returning my son to me. I will never be able to say thank you enough times to make up for the gift you've given me. So please, allow me to at least honor my son's promise."

Sarah's eyes glistened with tears as she waited for his response. He glanced over at Chris and Adam, both smiling at him in encouragement. Embarrassed, he lowered his eyes.

"Well, ma'am, as long as it won't make your husband jealous, I suppose it would be okay. I reckon we cain't disappoint the youngun."

"Don't make me shoot you, Tanner," Christ snarled.

"Hush, Christopher," Sarah said just before she pulled the younger man into her embrace. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. He could feel one of her hands on his back, the other on the back of his head.

"Thank you, Vin Tanner," she whispered. "Thank you for keeping my baby safe and bringing him back home to us."

Vin tightened his arms around her as he felt the tears against his neck. A long minute later, she pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"You're welcome, ma'am. I'm just glad I was there. You've got one helluva kid there. He's real brave and real smart. He saved my life." Vin smiled at Adam who was sitting in his father's lap. "That brave kid warned me, kept me from getting a bullet in the back. He got hurt trying to help me. I'm sorry I couldn't prevent that. Your boy is a hero, Larabee."

Chris looked down proudly and brushed away the bangs covered Adam's forehead. . "That he is."

"Like father, like son, I'd say," Buck Wilmington added, causing his long-time friend to smile up at him.

Chris took a deep breath and closed his eyes, relishing the feel of his son in his arms. His living, breathing, vital son.

"Tanner, I owe you," he said. "Whatever you need, you let me know. Anytime, anywhere." He locked eyes with his boy's savior, sealing his vow.

/

Two Weeks Later, Larabee Ranch

Chris Larabee walked into the living room just as Vin Tanner walked in the front door. The bounty hunter had been staying with the Larabees since his release from the hospital, but had been out all morning. Chris hadn't been sure he'd return in time for the belated birthday party his family had insisted on giving Chris.

Tanner handed Chris a wrapped package.

"Happy Birthday. Wasn't sure what you'd like. It ain't much."

"Thanks. You didn't have to get anything. I'm just glad you came back. I was afraid you'd miss the party."

Tanner shrugged. "Not really my place. Birthday parties are for family."

"Family and friends. You are definitely in the friend department, Tanner. Hell, after what you did for my family, you've become an honorary member."

Vin smiled. "Don't have no family," he said somewhat wistfully.

"You do now," Sarah commented as she joined the two men. With her was an elderly lady. "Vin this is Nettie Wells. She's a very close family member and my second mother."

"Pleased to meet ya, ma'am," he greeted her.

"My name is Nettie and that's what you'll call me, son." Nettie walked over to stand in front of Vin, looking him up and down. "Well, I've heard quite a lot about you, Mr. Tanner. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner to meet you, but I had some pressing matters to attend to at my own ranch. But from what I've heard, we owe you a huge debt of gratitude. You kept Adam safe and brought him back home. Thank you for that."

Vin looked at Chris, nervous at the attention. "I didn't do nothing that anyone else wouldn't a done, ma'am...Miss Nettie," he corrected.

"Nonsense. You saved that boy from dying or having to experience a horrible life that no one should ever experience, adult or child. I, for one, will always be indebted. If you ever need anything, Mr. Tanner, you let me know."

She unexpectedly hugged him. At least it was unexpected to Vin. Chris and Sarah were not surprised at all. Vin instinctively tried to pull back, but the older woman wouldn't let him. Eventually, he just surrendered and hugged her back. She released the very embarrassed young man and walked back into the kitchen. Sarah followed after giving Vin a wink.

Chris chuckled at Tanner's unease and led the way out to the deck, grabbing two beers from the small outside refrigerator on the way. He handed one of the beers to Vin and the two men leaned against the railing to watch the activity in the yard.

Buck and JD were running around the yard, being chased by Adam. Vin was glad to see the boy laughing.

"He seems to be doing okay. Still having nightmares?"

"Yeah, but he only woke up once last night. You know, you're the reason he can still run around and enjoy days like today," Chris said softly.

Vin glanced over at Chris, seeing the gratitude in his eyes. He nodded, realizing that no matter how many times he told these folks that he wasn't some kind of hero, they would insist on continuing to thank him. "I'm just glad I was there," he replied simply.

He turned back just in time to see Adam "tackle" Buck. As Wilmington lay on the ground in mock defeat, the boy raised his arms, signaling his victory. As he looked up to be sure JD had seen his triumph, he spotted Tanner.

"Vin!" he cried. Standing up, he raced toward the deck. He ran up the four steps and launched himself at the bounty hunter, only to be intercepted by his father.

"Careful, Adam. Vin's still recovering. His arm is still a bit sore."

"Sorry, Vin." Adam walked quickly over to Vin's side and smiled up at him. Tanner smiled back and leaned over to pick the five-year-old up and settle him on a hip.

"No problem, pard. I'm actually feeling a lot better."

"Did ya see, Vin?" Adam asked, excitedly. "I got Buck."

"I saw. That was pretty good, taking down such a big guy with a tackle like that. You gonna play football when you get in school?"

"Nope. Hockey!" he said decidedly.

"Well, alright!" Vin exclaimed raising a hand. Adam slapped him a high-five.

"You wanna see the horses? Micah says that Blaze is gonna foal soon. That's means she gonna have a baby! And he said that Peanut is getting all better and maybe I can ride him soon. Peanut is my pony. And Mama's horse, Biscuit, she got a cut on her leg…"

"Adam, slow down. Vin was just here this morning," Chris reminded his son.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," his son replied with a sly smile.

"That's okay, Adam. It helps me remember who is who, horse-wise," Vin assured him. "So, what say we head down to the corral? Maybe Buck with try to ride Henry again."

Adam just giggled. DuringVin's convalescence, Adam had told Vin the story of his Uncle Buck trying to ride the one horse on the ranch that no one could ride. The young boy had laughed and laughed while re-telling Buck's adventures of being bucked off the stallion four separate times, the last time "bruisin' his butt until he walked funny for a long time."

"I don't think Micah will let him on Henry ever again."

"Ah, well, I'd think it's Henry that won't let Buck on Henry ever again. Let's go down and say howdy to Henry then."

"Reckon we can do that," Adam said.

"Reckon we can," Vin replied, smiling at Larabee's frown.

"Reckon? What are you teaching my son, Tanner?"

"Me? Hey, can I help it if he's expandin' his vocabulary?" Tanner smirked. "Walk or ride, Adam?" he asked.

"Ride! Ride!" the young boy squealed and was lifted onto Tanner's shoulders. He grabbed a handful of Vin's hair. "Giddy up!"

Chris watched the pair head to the corral, a smile on his face. Buck and JD joined them.

"I think Adam has found a new friend," his wife said as she moved up beside him and slipped her arm around his waist.

Chris pulled her close, leaving his arm across her shoulder.

"Yeah, I think you're right." His face had lost his smile.

"What's the matter, Chris?"

"Hmmm? Oh, nothing. It's just…I'm glad he's here. I wasn't sure he'd show up for the party. From the little bit I've learned about him, he's a real loner."

"I think he and Adam formed a bond while they were kidnapped. Adam told me that he asked Vin if he was coming to the party. Our son is dealing with some major hero worship where Vin is concerned. I think Vin didn't want to disappoint him."

"Yeah. I think Buck was a little jealous of all the attention Adam is giving Vin. But then he remembered that he'd saved Adam's life, not once but twice. He saved you, too."

"Buck has a big heart. And he knows that Adam will always love him. He also knows that Adam has room for both of them. Face it, Chris. Vin Tanner has become a member of this family. I'm waiting for the first time Adam calls him "uncle".

Chris smiled, then leaned down to kiss his wife.

"I'm so lucky he was there that day," he said softly. "My world would have been shattered if the two of you…"

"Shhh," she interrupted, placing a finger on his lips. "He was there, love. Be grateful for that. And he was with Adam. I hate to think what would have happened if he hadn't been. All that time Adam was gone, I kept imaging what it was like for him. How scared he must have been. I am so glad he wasn't alone."

"It should have been me," he said softly.

"What should have been you?" she asked.

"With Adam. Finding Adam. Hell, if I'd have been doing my job, protecting my family, that bastard never would have gotten his hands on our son! He never would have hurt you." He reached up and placed his fingers lightly on her cheek, where the discoloration was all but gone.

"Oh, honey, don't do this," she pleaded. "You can't be with us twenty-four hours a day. Our angels were watching over us and saw us through this."

He sighed. "You know, I always made fun of you when you talked about guardian angels. I won't ever do that again. And if I do, you remind me of this conversation."

"I'll be sure to do that, love. Now, why don't you go down there and get those boys to wash up. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Yes, dear."

He chuckled when she slapped him on the butt as she turned away and walked back into the house.

/

Later that night

Chris and Vin were sitting on the back porch watching the stars. Everyone else had gone to sleep and the two men were enjoying the quiet. It had been hectic since Vin and Adam had been found. The media had hounded both men, wanting their stories. And they had been spending a lot of time dealing with paperwork as well, making statements and dealing with inquests and such. It was nice to get a breather.

"So, what are your plans now, Vin?"

"Don't know. I got a good nest egg in the bank. Just wanted that last bounty on Blackfox so I could take a few months off. I need a break."

"You gonna go back to bounty hunting after your vacation?" Chris took a sip of beer, taking a quick glance at Tanner.

Vin sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. Lately, it's been getting tougher and tougher to bring them in. I've been doing this a lotta years. Maybe I'll try my hand at something else."

Chris nodded and let the silence return for several long minutes. He finished his beer and got up to retrieve another, bringing one back for Vin as well. He settled back in his chair, worrying at the label on the bottle.

"Micah tells me that you're pretty good with horses. Have you ever thought about getting involved in ranching?"

"Not for a long time," he replied. "I worked on a horse ranch for a couple years. I think I was seventeen, eighteen. Bounty hunting paid better." He smiled and took a sip from his second bottle.

"I could use some help."

Vin swallowed and turned his head to look at Chris. "What?"

"I said I could use some help."

"You offering me a job?" Vin asked.

"Yeah. Micah says you got a way with the horses. I've been looking for a new foreman."

"What about Micah and the Hickson brothers."

"Micah was a friend of my dad's. He had been planning on retiring a few years ago. When my dad died he decided to stay on for a bit and help me out so that I didn't have to leave the Rangers. But he's not a young man, by his own admission. And it's getting tougher for him to do the everyday heavy work. I've been meaning to hire someone new, but work just kept getting in the way."

"What about the other two?"

"Hank and Dillon are both looking to move on in the next few years. They've been saving money to buy a place of their own."

"I'm not real good with business, Chris," Vin argued. "I just don't deal well with all that paperwork. That's one of the reasons I liked bounty hunting."

"Would it help if I told you that Micah would still handle all of that? I'm looking for someone to take over the physical side of it. Micah wants to stay on the ranch and he'll always have a place here. He's family. But he wants to pull back and just relax, sort of semi-retirement."

"Why me?"

"Why not? Look, you said yourself that you weren't sure what you were gonna do now. Sarah tells me that you have started looking for a place to live."

Vin frowned. "I move around a lot. Never had a steady place to stay; never needed one."

"But now that you're gonna take a break from bounty hunting, you'll need a place. Have you seen that shack on the other side of the corral?"

"Yeah," he replied suspiciously.

"Nobody's lived there for several years. It's a bit run down, but with a little bit of work, it could be a nice little house for someone." Chris leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his beer bottle clutched in both hands. "Look, Vin, I know it ain't much. I can't pay a lot, but the house would be free and you could have your meals with us at the house."

"It ain't that, Chris, I'm just not sure I wanna settle into something permanent-like."

"Fair enough. Look, you think about it. If nothing else, you could stick around for a couple months and then decide. You don't have to give me an answer right away. But you're welcome to stay on for however long you want. I know Adam would love it. And Micah could really use the extra help. We've got some wild horses coming in next month and could use some help breaking them. I'll be taking some time off myself to lend a hand, but we could always use another good man."

Vin didn't reply, turning his gaze skyward. Chris smiled and finished his beer. He stood and tossed the bottle in the small can outside that Sarah kept for recycling.

"I'm gonna hit the sack. I'll see you in the morning."

Vin nodded, watching Larabee walked toward the sliding glass door. "Chris?"

Larabee stopped and turned around, his hand on the door handle. "Yeah?"

"I appreciate the offer. I'll think on it."

Chris nodded. "Alright. Goodnight."

"'Night."

Chris went inside, leaving the other man to his solitude.

/

Epilogue

Vin walked into the kitchen, finding the Larabee family already sitting down to breakfast.

"Morning, Vin," Sarah said. "Coffee?"

Vin nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

"We got waffles this morning, is that okay?"

"That'll be great. Haven't had waffles in a while."

"I'll have a couple ready in a minute." She set a cup of coffee down in front of him and headed back to the stove. "I heard from my friend this morning. If you still want to look at that apartment, she can meet you at noon. Adam and I can drive over there with you, since he's not going to daycare today."

"Actually, I found a place," Vin said, taking a sip of the strong brew. He glanced at Chris, surprised to see a look of disappointment on the man's face.

"Really? Where?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, ah, I'm not sure. What would you say, Chris, about three hundred yards or so?" he asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

Chris frowned, confused. Then his face lit up in a smile. "I'd say more like two hundred and fifty yards."

"Chris?" The two men looked up at Sarah.

"Vin has decided to stick around for a while and help Micah."

"Vin?" she asked hopefully.

Tanner nodded. "I thought a lot about it last night. Hardly slept at all. I really could use a break from bounty hunting and can't think of a better place to do that."

"I'm glad," Sarah said. "It's been nice having you around. And I know Micah will appreciate the extra help."

"Daddy, does that mean Vin's gonna live here with us?" Adam asked from his seat next to his father.

"Well, he's gonna move into the old shack on the other side of the corral. But, yeah, he's sticking around."

"Yippee! Vin's stayin'!" Adam yelled as he jumped up from his chair and started dancing around the room. "Vin's stayin'!" The adults watched in amusement, until his mother told him to sit and finish his meal.

"I guess that makes it unanimous." Chris chuckled. "I'm glad, too. I've got today off. If you want we can take a look at the shack and see just how much work it's gonna take."

"Sure."

"Right after breakfast, boys," Sarah commented as she set a plate of waffles down in front of Vin. "And you let me know what I can do to help. You'll need curtains and rugs. We've got some stuff in the attic. Chris, maybe you can bring it down later. And we'll need to really clean that place up. No one has been in there in several years. It's probably got six inches of dust everywhere." She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk, pouring some more for Adam, while she continued to list all the repairs she felt would be necessary to make the small dwelling livable again.

Vin leaned over. "Is she always like this?" he asked softly, not wanting to interrupt her running dialog.

Chris smiled. "You ain't seen nothing yet, pard. She hasn't even gotten started. Wait until she invites Nettie over and the two of them gang up on you." He slapped Tanner on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family, Tanner."

"Ah, can I change my mind about that job offer?" he asked, leery of being the object of interest of the two females.

"Nope, too late now. You wouldn't want to disappoint the lady now would ya? Actually, I look forward to the time she starts to play matchmaker. And think of Adam. He's really looking forward to you being around."

"That's blackmail, Larabee."

"I reckon." Chris' smile grew bigger.

Vin snarled, but couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Eat up, boys, There's more where that came from," Sarah said, sitting down with another plate of waffles for herself. "Vin, I have some fabric that would make great curtains for the house. I'll probably have to pick up some more bleach. I can just imagine what animals having been inhabiting that place…"

Chris leaned back and smiled. His wife didn't get this way often, but when she did it was amusing to watch. He glanced over at Vin, who looked slightly shell-shocked, dazedly chewing on his waffles. Chris nodded.

Life was good.

/ THE END


End file.
